Crossroads II
by GosieKin
Summary: A sequel to Crossroads I: Wanting to forget about his unrequited love, Albert leaves for a year to Africa. Can he start again? Can Candy, now knowing that she had misjudged her own feelings, manage to live without him?
1. THE CHANGES

**Dear Readers,**

**First of all, I'd like to say that Crossroads II is my very first fiction (fan fiction or otherwise). I have never written anything before and had no intentions of ever writing... Until... oh well, it's all thanks to Rosa... ;) It's nearly been eight months since I came across and found her story. I was bitterly disappointed that it hadn't continued and I found myself crying out for more (no doubt some of you felt the same?) The very next day to my surprise, I experienced something very weird indeed; believe it or not, I found myself immersed in some sort of a parallel universe with Candy, Albert, Annie, Archie, Patty, George and all the others as real people. The ideas of how Rosa's wonderful story could have continued just kept playing in my head, it haunted me in my sleep and in every waking moment 24/7... and that's how the first five chapters of the continuation were born.**

**So, thank you so much, Rosa, for your story. Thanks to you I was transported to a wonderful world and experienced amazing feelings of ups and downs throughout your story. My mind was taken, I was inspired (or, should I say, nearly possessed!) and I have never felt so alive! Thank you, darling!**

**Secondly, I also would like to say a big 'thank you' to my Logan, for his editing and also for his unbelievable patience with me, leaving temporarily in two separate universes.**

**Also, a big 'thanks' for my little son, for inspiring me with his never ending childish curiosity. He reminds me everyday how not to lose the ability of discovering The New and Exciting...**

**With this done, I give you "Crossroads II". Before you start reading, please note again that this is a direct CONTINUATION of Rosa Carmona's "Crossroads" and ideally you should read her part first. Otherwise, some plots and subplots won't make much sense and you might feel like you have jumped into the middle of the book... This is the link you should follow (removing the space between each word!): http: / www . fanfiction . net / s / 228969/1/Crossroads  
**

**For those who already read it, a quick summary of the story so far... **

**After being rejected and witnessing the encounter Candy with Terry, Albert leaves for Lakewood. There he tries to deal with a bitter reality: Candy will never love him the way he would want her to. And upon accepting the invitation to Weston's summer residence he meets again Jolie McPherson, a woman at least say intriguing...**

**In a meantime, while Albert is gone, Candy begins to realize her blindness. She is hurt even more when the chat with Patty confirms her suspicion about Albert's true feelings towards her. But however determined to talk to Albert honestly, she isn't aware of one thing: Albert is planning to leave to Africa again...**

**But... let them speak for themselves. Let the story continue...**

**PART TWO**

**CHAPTER ONE: THE CHANGES**

Chicago, 18th June 1921

'_My Dear Candy'_ she read, _'I am leaving Chicago. I will be gone for a while. I cannot tell you how long just yet but by the time you read this, I will be already on my way to Africa. I am going to join the zoological mission in Congo._

_You do not need to worry; I have taken care of everything. The business will be fine; I left Monty in charge of all the issues. Hannah also knows what to do around the house and George will maintain our correspondence. _

_Please, take care of yourself and enjoy your life. I have opened a personal bank account for you. George will instruct you on how to use it. The money I deposited there is for your personal use and you can spend it as you wish. I also have taken the liberty of organizing some issues regarding Pony's Home. George will tell you all the details._

_Please forgive me for not letting you know earlier; goodbyes were never my strong point._

_Yours, Albert'_

"How could you Albert, how could you!" she sobbed angrily, scrunching up the letter in one hand and banging her other fist against her desk. "I don't care about the money; it's you who I need, don't you understand? How could you! How could you do this to me again? We were supposed to talk!"

Since he came back from Lakewood the week before, she had sensed tension within him. He was very quiet, strangely distant and appeared to be completely indifferent to her uneasy mood. Following her own burning need, she wanted to talk to him about everything, what happened at the party and about the letter he had left for her but he didn't give her a chance for it. To her surprise he didn't mention a word about her own short note she had sent to him, as if it never even existed. They used to share nearly everything but she noticed with hurt in her heart that this time he was preoccupied with something he didn't wish to share with her. He actually seemed so unattainable and so cold that she simply ran out of her initial courage and decided to wait few more days, convinced that she will have a better opportunity to talk to him once his weird mood wanes. And only today, after she had read the letter that George had brought to her room, she realized that she had made a wrong decision.

_Why didn't I notice anything earlier?_ She accused herself. _I was cowardly waiting and now I have to pay for it… Now it's all lost… No, no! _It occurred to her suddenly. _Maybe it's not too late yet! Maybe I can still find him!_

Candy stood up rapidly, threw the scrunched letter on her bed and as if she was carried by invisible forces, she furiously ran downstairs after George. She found him. He was just about to leave the mansion but she stopped him at the door and nearly dragged him to the study room. There, still with tears in her eyes she begged him to tell her what ship Albert was going to leave on for Africa. Knowing his loyalty to Albert she expected a great resistance from him but George surprised her, he did not have any objections in revealing the information she required.

Encouraged by this initial success, without wasting a second she made a long distance phone call to New York. Even though her body was all trembling from impatience, at the same time her mind was for some reason crystal clear and at full gear and while she was waiting for the Chicago telephone-exchange to forward the call, all the pieces of the puzzle suddenly began making sense. She began to understand Albert's weird behavior towards her; his leave, his unannounced comeback from Lakewood, then his nearly constant absence, his cold approach towards her in those moments they encountered, the mysterious phone calls and the project he kept hiding from her… And then, there was this breakfast two days ago, before she went to work… He seemed happy, excited, constantly made jokes… Such a different contrast from the days before... She went to work, full of hope that it was the answer for her prayers, determined to finally talk to him the following evening. However, she came back so late that everyone was already in bed. She also didn't see him yesterday and however disappointed, assumed that he was just busy with the business as always. And only today… She could now clearly see how naïve she was. The change of his mood two days ago wasn't her chance; this was only his way of saying goodbye…

Another thought occurred – and another piece of the puzzle found its place. He had taken the afternoon train and after the nineteen hour train ride to New York he must have reached his destination yesterday. The only hope was in the possibility that he spent a night in one of the New York hotels… but knowing his preferences about the travel and his habit of timing everything, she doubted he did. _But just this once… _she prayed. _Please, just this once…_

Her legs refused to carry her and she had to sit. As she turned to pull the telephone closer she noticed George's calm gaze upon her movements and she suddenly realized why he didn't resist when she asked him for help. The tears blurred her sight again and she swallowed, trying to fight them off. She should have guessed straight away… She knew George enough to know that he would have never obeyed anybody else but Albert. He would have never given up such vital information such as name of the ship if it was against Albert's will and if he did, it was because this information wasn't vital at all, at least not any more. If he betrayed Albert's command, he wouldn't be calmly standing by the window, with his gaze, ever so wise and patient and now, filled with sympathy…

It was heartbreaking but she was facing the fact that the chances of reaching Albert in New York's docks before he boards were very, very slim, if not nonexistent.

And just as she feared, her desperate efforts were indeed fruitless; once connected with New York Harbor's port officer, she was informed that 'Lady Louisa' had departed the previous evening.

Needless to say, she didn't have to be a genius to understand that Albert must have instructed George to give her his farewell letter after he was already offshore. The last piece of the puzzle finished the picture. If Albert planned this, and she had a very bitter feeling that he did, he had planned well. She had no doubts that he didn't want her to reach him on time.

Disappointed beyond words, she came back to her room, drowning in tears again. "How could you Albert, how could you?" she kept saying over and over, all to the silence of the empty room. "You had to leave, fine, but how could you leave me _this_ way?"

Days passed. Then days turned into weeks. It's been a month now since she had made that phone call to New York and everyday ever since she felt ambivalent. Her heart was filled with anger and sorrow with a dash of despair and loneliness thrown in for good measure. But above all else, she felt... emptiness. Nothing was the same anymore. She loved this house, but it was Albert who was her real home. Without him here, it was just a cold, empty building. Before he came back from Lakewood, she at least had something to wait for. Now… there was nothing. Nothing she could look forward.

She reconsidered Patty's advice and she decided in the end of the summer that she would leave. George was strongly against her plans but finally, although reluctantly, had helped her to find the apartment. It was really small, it would have fitted into her old bedroom in the mansion, but it was enough for her needs. She loved the view from her bedroom - outside there was Douglas Park, full of trees. And the best part of it all, it was only minutes away from the hospital. It was her first true investment.

The three of them, Annie, Patty and herself had a great time fixing the place up. She did not have time for it everyday, but when the words "It's done!" were finally uttered, she found some sort of serenity. She had her own place. She visited the old mansion sometimes, but that soon ended. It was Great Aunt Elroy's come back that stopped her from going even near. The old lady could not take the family mansion being left just for the servants and she moved back from Boston. That's how the contact with the mansion stopped and except for George, who regularly visited her in her apartment, only Hannah came occasionally, always bringing some of her delicious cakes and special herbs for everything.

This year, she got enough days off at the hospital to spend Christmas at Pony's Home. That place was always so full of life! She always was welcomed there as a family member and that sooth a little her lonely soul. She could not get enough of hugging both of her foster mothers, children and her beloved Clynn, who, despite being older, did not lose his thirst for adventure. She immediately left her 'Milady Andrew' self behind and the first thing she did was to climb her Father Tree. The view of the hills covered with sparkling snow and dazzled by the winter sun was worth more than any wealth in this world. She thought nothing had changed here**, **even the screams of be careful from both the women**, **who in seeing her so high up would run in abject terror toward the tree in case anything happened… Also the atmosphere in there hadn't changed at all. The Christmas dinner gathered all the occupants of Pony's Home in main dining room and after enjoying delicious food they all went out to sing Christmas Carols at neighborhood houses. She was going to remember this Christmas for a long time; it gave her so much so needed joy!

Yet, despite the undeniable joy of being there she didn't find the expected peace. For the first time in her life, Pony's Hill had failed miserably to give her any consolation. Albert's shadow hunted her down even here, no, especially here. It was right here that she had met him for the first time… and when she came back to Chicago, her longing screamed louder and louder. To the contrary, she was becoming more and more quiet.

Albert wrote to her only once, she received this letter at the end of February. He described some of his research and despite the calm tone of this letter she could feel how passionate he was about his doings. _He seems be doing very well without me_, she thought with bitterness. There was no word about himself, like he didn't want to share with her more than facts. There was no word regarding her, except for few lines in which he wished her all the best for the New Year. There was no return address either and George swore to her that reaching Albert was impossible, due to him being far away from main cities. The only contact they have had was by rare telegrams in which Albert informed that he was alive and well. It was impossible then to even add a postscript from her.

And she should have known better. If she wasn't so blinded by the pain of the disappointment, she would have realized that Albert, with his sense of responsibility, would have never left without organizing everything, including the ways of communication. She should have known that neither Montgomery nor George would allow such a situation to arise in which they had no possibility of reaching Albert in case of any family emergencies. And there was indeed a deal the men had made a few months before. Albert wished to be left alone and only giving George the places he could be reached at, he also asked him to post about everything but Candy, unless it was a life-and-death situation. And now, even though Candy didn't know that, in denying her plea it was breaking George's heart. He was never as close to breaking the promise had given to Albert as when she was looking earnestly in his eyes and only his inner discipline stopped him from doing so. The sympathy he felt was hidden deep, much deeper than when he was witnessing her despair after Albert's departure.

.

Things began to get even more complicated for her. If Patty was the one who opened her eyes and confirmed what she suspected already, Annie was the one who truly scolded her, without holding back. "How could you be so blinded, Candy?" she yelled at her, "I will never stop wondering why it had to take so long for you to notice how wonderful a man he is! He loved you, yes, he did and you are right thinking that his feelings were far from being brotherly. But you still don't get it. You keep repeating how upset _y o u_ are, because he left you – did you think even for a moment how _h e_ must have felt? Did it occur to you just for a second _w h y_ he left? Think about it now then! Living for years under one roof with someone he loved the most, convinced that she would die for one his best friends! Would you be capable of doing so?"

She had to admit that her friend was right. Albert was always in her life, always there for her, she just took it for granted. She had already once focused so much on her shattered feelings that she did not see his and she did it again, when he left… The only thing she was capable of was to feel sorry for herself…only for herself. Where was he in this? What right did she have to blame him for leaving? After what she had threatened him, after what she did at the party… He couldn't have possibly known what really happened between her and Terry and how it changed her… He couldn't have possibly known that she was going to talk to him openly. She was too much of a coward to even indicate her intention…

From that moment on the shame never left her. She couldn't even stand herself in the mirror.

The only consolation was her work. She seemed to be bristling with the energy and constantly sought out thousands of new things she could be helpful with. Everything seemed to be a good opportunity to volunteered countless numbers of long hours for being with patients in her free time. This was her cure. This was something real, something sure, something she could hold on to and carry on doing, trying to keep herself focused and her mind away from the pain in her heart**.**

However, sometimes, on some of the easier night shifts, when she had completed absolutely every single task, her thoughts began to wonder off. Like a moth to a flame, she kept coming back to her phantoms and once she gained enough courage, she looked deep into her soul. What she saw there was heartbreaking. Annie's words made her realize that even though she had missed his presence before, it was still far from being a selfless act of love. Now it was changing. There was something different about her longing for him; something new had been growing for some time now, delicate at first, gradually stronger and stronger. Was this ever meant to be as strong a storm that she once felt for Terry, she wondered again and again. Or was it going to stay in a shadow of the past and be only some sort of love? But her wondering wasn't anymore about what she needed; it was about what Albert deserved to have. For once, she completely forgot about herself and began thinking only about him. And there was one thing she was certain about; Albert should have somebody to love him without condition, no exceptions, for his nobleness, his great heart, his wonderful eyes, for everything, she had always known that… Why her? Why did he torture himself with this… for her…? What has she done so special to receive such feeling? Nothing. What could she possibly do compensate him for his suffering? She didn't know. And how could she test her feelings without hurting him? She knew she would have to do something. But would he even let her try? Would he want her? Did he still love her? It has been a long time…

_Some day,_ w_hen he comes back… If he will ever come back… _she kept repeating. _Some day I will find out…_

She barely noticed that winter had faded away and then replaced by spring which turned into summer. Nor did she care… All what mattered to her was her work.

©GosieKin 2009


	2. WILL IT BE THE SAME?

**CHAPTER TWO: WILL IT BE THE SAME?**

It was one of those days free from work. It was a comfortably hot day, the beginning of July. She was sitting in her favorite armchair, so deeply buried in her book that she did not realize someone was knocking at her door. The first knock was very quiet that she barely heard it. The second knock was louder. _'It must be Annie.' _she thought, opening the door.

She gasped and for a split moment she stood there, motionless, shocked. It wasn't Annie. It was Albert.

"You came back..." she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Hello, Candy." He gave her his usual, but somehow different smile. "Surprised?"

"…'Surprised' is not the word…" _He came back… Oh God, he is finally back…_

"Can I come in?

She realized she was still standing rooted to the floor. "Yes, yes, come in, please!" she said, trying to restrain herself from bursting with joy. She dreamed of seeing him, of running to him and she ran… out of courage. Something about him didn't let her jump straight into his arms but she couldn't quite place what it was. Not yet anyway. "Forgive me for being rude... It's just… I had no idea you were coming back… Sorry…" she shook her head, "Would you like something to drink?"

"A coffee would do me just fine, if you don't mind."

Making the coffee suddenly became a perfect excuse to gain a few precious seconds out of his sight and she retreated to the kitchen almost feeling relieved_._ _He came back… Oh God, he is finally back… _she repeated. She breathed slowly to compose herself and then she made two coffees.

When she entered her living room, he was sitting on the sofa, looking around. "I heard that you left the mansion. I like it in here. It feels very cozy… And very you. And very scientific..." he pointed to the pile of opened books with their exposed pages, all strewn higgledy piggledy on the coffee table.

"Oh, I'm just trying to improve my medical knowledge..."

The girl smiled brightly in the hopes that he did not sense anything out of the ordinary in her voice, when she was telling him about her work. She had to put in all her effort to keep up this seemingly light conversation, but inside she was trembling. Those few seconds in the kitchen weren't helpful enough. Even a few more minutes wouldn't be helpful enough, there would never be enough minutes; she was still in shock of seeing him again after such a long time. He was just as tall and muscular as she remembered, that hasn't changed much but… His gestures were still sparse but not anymore in this refined, urban style she remembered. They were now more instinctive, as smooth as a big cat's and betrayed a great independence. This attire reminded her suddenly of the free spirited Mr. Albert, the one who would just disappear beyond the horizon, leaving everything behind without any remorse. But this Albert wasn't disappearing. He was still sitting there, in the corner of her velvet sofa, relaxed, radiating his usual charm, so firm but also impermeable. There was, as always, a hint of mystery around him, especially with this new smile of his, enigmatic yet, full of self-confidence. He must have cut his hair some time ago because some of his white-blond wisps had already covered his forehead, marking the beautiful contrast between his magnetic, deep blue eyes and his tanned skin.

She registered all that with only a few shy glances. She didn't dare looking too openly. It was _him _but… but he was just sitting there and… and he was irresistible!

"Were you happy with your trip?" she asked, when there was nothing else to say about her work. _Can he see my hands shaking?_

"Oh, yes!" Albert nodded calmly, "I managed to do a lot of research! Some of my articles still require the finishing touch, but I am glad of the results."

"Are you going to publish them?"

"Of course. They will be available mostly for the scientists, but if you want I can give them for you to read."

"I can't wait!"

And then, there was silence; a long, embarrassing silence. She could only look at him, not knowing what else to say and he returned her glance with his calm, impermeable gaze.

"When did you… come back?" she asked finally.

"Yesterday." he replied simply.

"You must still be tired from your journey then?"

"No, not really."

And again, silence.

Albert reached into his pocket and pulled something out but she couldn't quite make out what it was. Whatever it was, he had it pretty well hidden in his hand.

"Actually, I came here to give you a little souvenir from Congo." she heard. "Now, close your eyes."

Candy was surprised, but she did as he asked. She felt him taking her hand in his, and slowly, turned it so that her palm was now facing up. Something cold was placed in the middle of her hand. She felt his fingers gently folding hers around this cold object and from its shape she made out that it was a small figurine. It was quite heavy. She felt its weight when Albert removed his hand.

"Consider it as a present for your belated birthday." he said. "All the best Candy and may all your wishes come true!"

Candy opened her eyes, looked at the object in her hand and gasped with astonishment. It was indeed a little figurine; a golden miniature of a lion. It was only three inches high but yet had been beautifully carved in a striking pose. The minute and painstakingly crafted details on the small figurine weren't just an exquisite; it was a veritable feast for the eyes. Simple put, it was simply astounding.

"It's so beautiful!" she said, fascinated with the details as the light glistening from its shiny surface. "What is it made of? It seems gold but it can't be. It looks like it's made from…" she looked a little closer, "a…stone?"

"Yes, it is a stone," he nodded, "quartz, to be exact. It is called 'tiger eye'."

"And you bought this gorgeous thing for me?"

"I did not buy it. I carved it." he stated simply.

She looked at him in disbelief. "You..? T-This…?" she uttered, "_You_ made this?"

Albert smiled slightly. "You would be surprised how many born artists there are in the Congo. One of them taught me how to carve quartz. I had plenty of free time and at least I had something to keep myself busy…"

"Stop talking as if it was something everybody could do just by learning!" she interrupted him lively. "Look at these sharp edges here, the smooth but strong muscles... and... and the mane!" She could barely contain her elation. "I think I can see every wisp! It really looks as if this was alive, as if it was going to jump at any second! I can see how this lion hesitates between jumping and trusting… This is so much more than an amateur attempt! That's art!"

"This lion will never jump, I can assure you." He replied teasingly, ignoring her compliment. "He is merely poised. Perhaps someone invisible is trying to tame him..." he paused significantly.

And within an instant, she understood. "Albert!" she screamed, bedazzled. "This lion… it's the one from the park…! It is Dongo, isn't it?"

"It is the same one indeed." he chuckled at her discovery. "You had been always asking me how it felt to tame the lion… Now you can find out by yourself. And I think it would be quite a funny view; a lion, taming another lion." He chuckled again, seeing her puzzlement, and explained, "With your mane you look just like him."

And that's when Candy ran out of words. And it wasn't because he was teasing her.

_It's not just my hair, Albert, it's more, _she thought_. I really am like this lion now, unsure of what to do… Was that your intention or is it just me looking for double meanings everywhere? What does this lion mean, Albert? What are you trying to tell me?_

Recalling all her courage Candy stretched her hand and gently touched his. "You know how to truly amaze me, Albert…" she said softly. "This is the most beautiful present I have _ever_ received." _Can he hear that tremble in my voice? "_Once again, 'thanks' is not enough..."

"It is enough for me." He replied calmly, lifting her hand to his lips. The kiss he placed on it was very refined… and impersonal. Then, releasing her hand, he added with a light tone: "I hope you will tame him completely…"

O O O

It had been a long time since she felt this distracted. She was completing her tasks carefully but without personal attention. It's been a few days since he came back and she could feel the weird butterflies in her stomach every time she remembered how he embraced her briefly before leaving her apartment. He did this so many times before, dozens, hundreds of times even. This time, she found in his arms something more than just the usual safety. It was sweeter, stronger, making her body light and yet heavy at the same time... Oh, she knew, she felt that once before…

Discovering and finally admitting that she _does have_ a desire for him was devastating. Devastating because it was too late; now she wanted him but he didn't want her.

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	3. STEP ONE, STEP TWO

**Okay, so he is back...but is he still the same Albert he had been in the past? And what happens next? Is it too late for Candy? Is it? And what the heck has he been doing for the last twelve months? Are you eager to know what happened in Congo? Oh, well... you will find out... one day. ;))**

**For now, Dear Reader, sit comfortably and...**

**.**

**.**

**CHAPTER THREE: STEP ONE, STEP TWO**

For the last few months Annie had tried to be patient with her friend but now could no longer hold back as _both_ of her best friends were avoiding each other. It's been nearly a month since Albert came back and nothing was happening. She was worried that if this situation continues, everything will be irrevocably lost.

One day, knowing when Candy's shift was over, she waited outside the hospital. She grabbed her friend's hand and not caring for Candy's strong resistance she dragged her to her apartment on the opposite side of the park. She was in fact so determined that the route through park took less time than usual.

"Candy, I feel really offended by the lack of your trust." Annie had started as soon as the door closed behind them. "You talk a lot about everything else but you and I remember well this symptom. I want to know what's wrong with you and I am not taking any of your excuses."

"But that is the problem, Annie; I do not know what to say." Candy began to give up. "There is just chaos inside me…"

"So tell me about your chaos. It is a pretty good start." encouraged Annie.

"I have been thinking a lot of what you told me about Albert, Annie…" once she broke that wall, it was easier to open up her soul. She talked and talked and talked, and Annie listened. When she finally finished, they both ended up crying. "Do you understand now? I am not sure of anything anymore and I have no right to ask him if he is still… Maybe it changed? Maybe he gave up? It's been so many months now… And he seemed so cold…"

"Silly you..." Annie smiled through her tears, turning the statue of the lion in her fingers, "this lion tells me something else… Plenty of spare time, right!" she snorted. "I'm not an expert but can tell that carving such a sculpture must have taken days, if not weeks! Do you think he would bother himself for weeks to make a present for just _anybody_? And who was the first person he went to see after he came back? Monty? Archie? Me? His relatives or other friends? No! He went to see _you_ the very next day and I'm sure that the only thing that stopped him from seeing you right after he got back was because you were working. And now I'm asking what stopped _you_ from talking to him!"

"You think I didn't want to?" Candy yelled, sobbing. "I have owed him that for so long but he was so cold and I didn't even know how to start! I met him just once since then, in the bank and he was exactly the same; locked in a tight shell, again, behind the mask of a perfect gentleman. How can I get through to him when he doesn't show anything that matters!"

"That reminds me of some other person I know. She is sitting with me right now and pretending to be a fountain." Annie shook her head and they both laughed through tears. "Silly you…" Annie repeated, "…did it even enter your mind that his behavior could have been just a defense? You just have to talk honestly about it and I'm afraid it will hurt but it is the only solution."

"I know! But I'm just so scared to start! He is really not the same…" Candy hid her face in her palms.

_Once again I will have to take matters into my own hands_.Annie thought, hugging her friend._ Otherwise they will hesitate forever!_

She had a plan…

O O O

"Archie, my love, can I ask you for a favor?" Annie asked coquettishly, holding onto her husband's arm.

Archie turned from his desk and rolled his eyes. "Oh, God, I know this angelic look of yours, this is gonna end in tears!" he moaned. "I can see myself regretting this very soon, but yes, darling, how can I help?"

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen!" she laughed and pulled him towards the balcony, where they stood, enjoying the warm breeze coming from the forest behind their house. "I just need you to invite Albert here. I have to talk with him and the last thing I need is Aunt Elroy being around."

"You mean her old falcon nose that she likes sticking into others businesses?"

"Archie, where are your manners?" she scolded him but her soft laughter contradicted her words.

Archie stretched his arms casually, "Faded away God knows when. Or maybe they never existed. But why do you need Albert?"

"It's personal."

"Hey, now I am jealous!"

"Stop being silly, I am serious..." Annie turned and looked away.

"Now I am seriously jealous. Okay, okay, I will ask him... Hold on…" he frowned and his eyes flashed with suspiciousness. "Does your 'personal matter' have anything to do with some sad Blondie secretly climbing trees?"

"Yes. Those two need help but none of them is going to ask for it."

"Maybe I should talk to him?" suggested Archie with a wide grin on his face "You know, man's talk…"

"Please, no!" Annie expeditiously turned to face her husband "I fear if he realizes how many people know his big secret, he might close up for good."

"Well, I would not call now our dear William Albert timid…" Archie murmured under his breath. "But okay, I will think of something."

"Tomorrow then?" she insisted.

"Someone is on a hurry!" Archie reached with his hand for hers and pulled her closer to him. "I really have to toy with this idea of my wife having a secret affair under my nose…"

"Archie, please…" she could not stop laughing as his fingers started to tickle her waist.

"Okay, I promise I will drag him here tomorrow. If he resists, I will use violence!" He said and kissed her nose. _This is really going to end in tears…_ He thought seriously. _The question is whose?_

O O O

"Archie, what is this business of yours? Can't it wait? I have some work to do." Albert said when they drove into Cornwell's estate.

"You have all your life to be a busy bee. This is your business!" Archie waved to Annie awaiting them on the stairs. "She insisted! I know we could have visited you at the mansion but she was not feeling well enough for the journey" he lied. "I leave you now."

Albert didn't say a word, he just followed Annie silently inside the house. She motioned him to their living room.

Inside the delicately decorated room and set into the wall on the left was a huge fireplace and mantle piece, above that hung an immaculately polished mirror. In front of the hearthside sat two old Chesterfields, a three legged burr walnut coffee table stood between them. On the far side of the room behind the armchairs, next to the patio that overlooked the magnificent forest was a well stocked bar.

"I am sorry we kidnapped you, my dear." Annie apologized. "I promise that it won't take long. You see... I just needed to talk with you."

"Alright…" Albert smiled politely and sat on one of the Chesterfields. "What is the matter, Annie?"

"Would you like something to drink?" she said, walking towards the bar. Archie always insisted on having a well stocked variety of alcoholic drinks for their guests.

"A brandy will be fine."

Annie picked up a large square crystal decanter from the copious amounts of bottles and carafes, took the stopper out and began to pour. The dark golden liquid gurgled its way into the glass. This was one of the things she had to learn, the exact measurements of any alcohol for any specific drink and how they are supposed to be served. She remembered those lessons from her father...

She took the glass and handled it to her guest.

"Please, forgive me for being straight and do not think I enjoy intruding into other people's lives, but this time I had to… I have to be sure… Can you be honest with me?"

"About what?" Albert asked and took a gulp of brandy from his glass. He seemed relaxed, but his suddenly hardened face didn't suggest a light mood.

"What do you think? About Candy of course… Albert..." she called his name softly, "I know you loved her… once. And now…do you still…?"

"May I know the reason why you are asking?" he interrupted with the same, impermeable face.

"I beg you, Albert... It is not easy for me too…" Annie almost twisted under his hard gaze. In this instant she began to worry that Candy might have been right; there was really something new and unknown about Albert. She would have never though it was possible but he scared her a little. "It might be important for both of you." she added shyly.

"I will skip the part of you being a little... rude. But as for asking about my personal affairs, I do not see how it concerns you." Albert said coldly, taking another gulp from his glass. "I assume that there must be a reason and you wouldn't be asking just for the purpose of later gossiping. However, I wasn't aware of the fact that my person has suddenly become such an interesting subject to question... Did _she_…" he paused significantly "...send you to me?"

"She hasn't got the vaguest idea that I am talking to you. It was my idea only."

"Then I'm asking once again, why do _you _want to know?"

"Because _I_ cannot look at you both, maybe you are losing the chance of your life!" Annie yelled impatiently. "You would be so great together!"

With the third gulp Albert finished his brandy. Then he reached out and put the empty glass on the table. "_'Us'_ both, Candy and me, great together? The chance of our lives?" He said sarcastically. "There is no 'us', Annie, you are imagining things."

"Oh, am I?" she protested boldly. "And the lion you carved for her? I saw it, Albert. If that wasn't a gift of love, my name is not Annie Cornwell!"

"You are imagining things, Annie." He repeated.

"So you are saying that you don't love her?"

Albert didn't reply.

"I could take your hesitation alone as an answer." Annie said. "But I'd like to hear it from you."

Albert again didn't reply and Annie mustered up all her courage to say what could snap him out of his cold stoicism. "I didn't realize that William Albert Andrew was such a coward that he had to hide behind the mask of a fake coldness." She challenged, exhaling quickly.

That was when all his boundaries stopped having any meaning to him. Infuriated, he got up and stood before Annie, his hands clenched into tight fists. "Annie, what the hell are you on about? What do you really want from me? The truth?" he burst out with sudden bitterness.

_Hey, why the hell not_? He thought. _Let the entire world know about poor old Albert and his dilemma!_

"Fine then…" He said as he turned away from the girl and walked briskly to the fireplace. Confessing all to somebody that close was hard enough, he didn't want her to see his face when he did it. Albert stood there for a few seconds staring blankly at the empty hearth. Albert took a deep breath, exhaled and then he began…

"She told me more than once that she doesn't want to love anymore." He uttered with a quiet but tensed voice. He hadn't noticed that Annie could see the reflection of his face in the mirror. "Fair enough. She had told me that her love for Terry was the essence of her existence even if that makes her unhappy and I had seen enough to believe her words! Do you remember her birthday? I _saw_ them both in the garden…" The memory flooded back and he started to get impetuous. "It was then I realized I have no chances to compete with him, even if he is married and unavailable. You want to know? Fine! She was like the air for me, like life, she ran in my blood… I left her to forget and God one knows how much it would take to forget such a feeling! I ran away from her, to learn how to live without her and I have been trying to live a normal life! And now you are trying to damage what I've achieved... Why are you torturing me?"

Annie looked at him, awestruck. Albert, tender? Albert, soft? No way! He scared her with this outburst, yes, but this passion… Even she wasn't completely insensitive to it, she admitted, shocked.

"Oh my God, Albert!" she gasped, almost breathless, "You have so much fire! No woman can resist it, I could swear!"

"Except for one!" he hissed sarcastically and turned to her again. "There is no 'us' and never will be Annie and if you want to blame someone for it, it should be her, not me! I went to see her after I got back but she treated me like a brother. Nothing has changed! And since you insist to know, I will tell you: yes, Annie, I still love her, like an idiot, even though I know how hopeless this feeling is! But God knows what I am going to do to you if you ever dare telling her that!" He looked at her fiercely and then, as if getting back to his senses he closed his eyes for a moment. When he looked at her again, his gaze was again calm and impermeable. "And now, forgive me but I think I have already had enough of this conversation."

He headed towards the door and reached for the handle, Annie knew that she had to act quickly. She was still trembling but there was no time for hesitation now. "Candy thinks she loves you." she said with a firm voice. "And not as a brother."

His hand stopped in mid air. Turning to face her he asked coldly, "Is that some sort of joke, Annie?"

"I wouldn't dare. Albert, please sit down…" she pleaded and sighed with relief when he finally walked back towards her and sat down. Without asking, she stood up, grabbed the decanter from the bar and with shaking hands proceeded to poured him another brandy, this time it was twice as much as before. If the alcohol could just relax him a little bit, make him drop his guard, it might just make him talk even more. She was prepared to deplete Archie's entire stock if need be! And indeed, immediately upon receiving his glass, Albert quickly drank its contents down in one go. Again, she filled the empty glass and left the decanter on the table.

"Listen…" she continued calmer, "You were gone for such a long time, Albert, and you don't know everything. A lot of things have changed. She has changed. Since she had received your letter from Africa she hasn't mentioned your name once for many months but I saw her face when we talked about you and that's how I know that you didn't leave her thoughts for a second. You know her even better then I do… you should know that she always keeps silent about everything that hurts her the most… She was seemingly the same, with a good heart, but no one could get into her thoughts. She closed up like a clam, exactly like you."

Albert knocked back his third.

She went on again, "Only recently I forced her to talk to me. I can't tell you everything she told me because it's private but trust me; it's hasn't been easy for her. You left before she had a chance to tell you something important and she hasn't stop blaming herself for being too hesitant ever since… Albert, she is lost and confused but not the way you remember. Doesn't matter whether she wanted to love again or not; these feelings are sometimes born against our will. She's been torn between the memory of her lost love, pangs of conscience, guilt and maybe a new love she is not sure of yet. And she is too scared to try it, because she does not want to hurt _you_ if she is mistaken… What a mess!" she sighed. "You are upset thinking that she greeted you only like a brother, while she was just ridiculously scared of you being so cold to her. It's a blind circle! Why is it so complicated? Can't you two just spare me from a headache, get on and simply love each other?"

"I wish, Annie…" he admitted calmly whilst pouring himself another.

"She still has a lot to work on…." Annie added quietly. She knew well that the question she was going to ask might destroy all her work. "That chance is very slim, yet…" she paused for a moment and taking another calm breath, she continued slowly, "Would you be able to live with her knowing she might never forget him completely?"

Albert hesitated for a moment. Annie's words rang in his mind. He remembered times of hopefulness, wishfulness but most of all, he remembered the hopelessness.

Backwards and forwards.

Tick tocking like a great weight at the end of a pendulum inside a grandfather's clock.

Backwards and forwards.

This metaphorical swing had been killing him slowly now for the past five years. Her words also reminded him of the dark cloud above his head called Terry. It was the reason why he had left in the first place. It still remained and kept casting a shadow on him, he was certain. At least he was until now.

"I don't know, Annie." he replied finally. He wasn't inebriated, he wasn't even tipsy, he could swear but four brandies in one go weren't the best of choices if he wanted to think clearly. And it certainly wasn't a good idea if he desired to speak less, because some of his dams began breaking down. He could almost feel the emotions leaking through. "Sometimes I think I could accept everything just to be with her." he heard his own voice and it sounded a little weird… Okay, maybe he was a little tipsy. He blinked. "And the next moment I contradict myself, demanding to be the one and only…"

Annie got up and turned slightly to hide her smile which had now formed on her face. Clearly, the brandy was a good idea. It worked; he told her all she needed to know. _First step done, _she thought._ He admitted it and what's more important, he hasn't given up yet. Time for step two…_

"You know what?" she asked, now feeling more secure, "I always knew you were both made for each other! She just couldn't see that, that's all… Give yourself another chance, Albert, have a good, honest chat, doesn't matter how hard it is going to be." She said firmly. She felt a tinge of déjà vu saying the very same words she had used to convince Candy. "But _you_ have to make her talk, Albert, she will never manage on her own, she is too scared… Please, promise me you will talk!"

"It seems like there is going to be a long way to go, Annie…" Albert said as he got up from the armchair. His reply didn't really sound like a promise she had demanded but she felt the new determination within him.

"I know. But she is worth it, isn't she?"

She watched as he left by the patio and made his way down towards the forest. He was lost in deep thought and that view reminded her of old Albert. And she wasn't far from the truth; even though there was something new about him, deep, deep down he remained the same Albert.

That thought alone made her smile. That, – and his slightly staggered walk as he disappeared beyond the trees.

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	4. THE SPARKLES

**There is a Polish saying: _'Gdzie diabeł nie może, tam babę pośle.' _It translates to: _'When the Devil is incapable, he sends a woman to do the job.'_**

**Well then, my Dear Readers...do you think that Annie managed to convince our dear blond feline to finally make the things right? Let's find out...**

**.**

**.**

**CHAPTER FOUR: THE SPARKLES**

Chicago, 24th July 1922

_What a day,_ Candy thought, leaving the hospital, _I haven't had my dinner again!_

She was walking down the street when the sound of a car horn from behind made her turn around.

"Get in, I will give you a lift." she heard, and to her relief she recognized Albert's voice. "You look tired." he added when she sat down next to him.

"I am! I can barely feel my legs. Hey!" she yelled as he u-turned the car and sped up like a man possessed. "Albert, what are you doing? My house is that way!"

"I am snatching you." he winked.

"You are doing what?"

"I am snatching you." he repeated. "Hold on tight!"

"Albert, what is going on? Where are you taking me?"

"You will see." Albert smiled enigmatically.

"But it's getting dark!"

"And that is the whole point."

Albert drove along the West 22nd Street, leaving St. Camille Hospital and Douglas Park*1* behind them and she thought for a moment that he was taking her to the mansion. But she was wrong; when he got to the well known junction with Michigan Avenue Boulevard*2*, the fastest route to the family residence, instead of taking the right, he turned left, heading towards the north. Perplexed, she watched as they crossed the Chicago River and headed for Lake Shore Drive*3*. They passed by the Municipal Pier*4*, Lincoln Park and it didn't look like they were going to stop anytime soon. She had absolutely no clue what he had in his mind; when she asked him about their destination, his only reply, given with a mysterious smile was: "Have you ever heard that curiosity killed the cat?"

When North Lake Shore Drive ended, they entered Sheridan Road. One by one, three cemeteries passed by: Graceland, St. Bonifacius and Calvary and then the North-Western University*5*. She asked him again about his plans, but this time his only reply was a smile.

The outskirts of the city, with many building sites and still inhabited buildings wasn't really a welcoming area even in daylight and now, in the night time and without any lights it was even spookier. He still remained silent and it bothered her but one thing she knew: whatever was damaged between them, no matter how they both hurt each other, it was still him and he never gave her a reason to be even slightly scared of him. And she wasn't; she was just insanely curious, why, despite the complicated situation between them, he would take her on such a late trip…and happy, happy for having this unexpected opportunity of spending some time with him. Maybe she will finally manage to start the conversation that she had waited for so long…?

When they went beyond the city limits, Albert turned the car from the main road towards the shore of Lake Michigan and came to a stop on a wild beach. "We still have to wait a little." she heard. These were the first words that he uttered for the last fifteen minutes. "Luckily we made it on time. And lucky for us, there are no clouds. For now, eat something if you want." he added. He reached out to the rear seat, pulled up a small basket from there and gave it to her. "I bet you are hungry."

"No, I am not…" she protested automatically.

And, as if there hadn't been a better time to betray her, this was it; her stomach rumbled and the sound was so loud that she had no doubts he must have heard it too. She blushed, caught in an obvious lie and only hoped that the darkness surrounding them will hide its intensity from him. _Why is it suddenly so important not to look silly in his eyes? _She thought, embarrassed.

"Sure you are not." he said, clearly amused and she blushed even more. "Go on. Hannah made your favorite pie."

She gave up and ate in silence. There was no point denying it; she was so hungry that even though she tried to eat slowly, it didn't even take her five minutes to empty the entire basket. But even though silent, inside she was crying out of helplessness. How could she start talking about serious matters like feelings when her stomach was rumbling?

"Not hungry, huh? I was going to join, but I see I had no chances for that to begin with." he teased her when she put the basket between the seats. "Hey, just kidding, I have eaten already." he added quickly when she looked at him, ashamed. Then, he turned away from her and glanced at his wrist watch. "Okay, any minute now…" he murmured, opening the door on his side. "Get out of the car. You will have a better view."

She obeyed, but could not contain her curiosity any longer. "Better view in the night time? Albert, what are we doing here? What are we waiting for?"

Albert joined her and motioned her to face the lake. "Don't ask, Miss Curiosity, just watch!" he said and pointed up.

The vast blackness of the night sky, with its stars and the dim, crescent moon was beautiful but it wasn't anything she had not seen before. There was nothing out of the ordinary, save for an unusually clear sky and she wondered if that was special enough to watch it. And then, after a couple more minutes of waiting and wondering, it happened.

The sky was suddenly light up by a long silver thread and became dark again. Then it happened again, then again until without warning, more and more bursts of light cut through the night sky simultaneously, running in all directions. There was no noise; the sparkles kept falling in absolute silence, interrupted only by the sound of the water, lapping against the shore a few feet away from them. Oh yeah, _that _kind of view _was _definitely worth coming here, even so late!

"Do you like them?" he asked without looking at her.

"Oh, yes! Wait," she added quickly, remembering something, "I think I know what they are! I've never had an opportunity to see them but I'm pretty sure that they are the shooting stars… Because they are, aren't they?" she asked, but he had no chance of confirming whether she was wrong or right as Candy without even a slightest pause continued excitedly, "I heard that they come back every year, but they are not necessarily visible from one place on Earth. I even remember that they are called… how did it go…Perseois…? Perseinos..?" she paused and tried again, frowning, "Erm… Perseids?"

"Yes, Perseids." he sighed in the darkness and again, she sensed a hint of an amusement in his voice, "Thank you for the lecture, that was supposed to be my part… I should have remembered your ability of spoiling the surprise…" he murmured and sighed again. "Anyway, if you by chance would allow me to continue from this point on, I can only add that they are not exactly stars. The correct name of this phenomenon is actually a 'Meteor shower' and it is cosmic debris, no more no less, burning up while entering the atmosphere of the Earth."

"Sure, but whatever they are, I'm sure that the first name, the 'shooting stars', wasn't made without a reason…!" Candy flinched when one of the stars shot closer and faster than the others, "They are so bright as if they were just above us... Are they going to fall on us?"

"Do you really think I would be standing here, stoically watching the oncoming Apocalypse?" he replied with a question. "Don't worry; they are vaporizing very high above us and if something reaches the surface of the Earth, it is either only dust or tiny meteor fragments."

"Phew!" Candy sighed theatrically, "Good to know that I do have a chance to grow old... But what about the tail?" she got back to the subject by pointing to one of the meteors. "What is it?"

"Aha, so there is something left for me to explain after all? How nice..." he smiled mockingly. "You see, Miss Curiosity, the higher the speed, the brighter they burn and you must know that they fly at speeds that we can't even imagine. That's why they are so bright. And this tail is nothing else but a streak of light left behind when they enter the atmosphere."

Candy looked at him and bit the corner of her lower lip as always when she was thinking intensively about something. And indeed, a thought was worming its way into her mind. "I know! Like… like the sparkles behind the burning torchwood when you wave it!" she equated.

"Exactly!"

Glad with her correct conclusion, she nodded.

"How did you know about them?"

"I spoke with one professor at the University and he told me about the predicted time. I only picked the right place. But Candy…" he paused when he saw her shivering. "It's night time and you are only wearing a light dress. You must be cold…" he pulled out a warm woven plaid from behind her seat and gave it to her. "Here…"

Candy covered herself but the plaid was quite heavy and kept slipping off her shoulders. He must have notice that because she felt his hand, wrapping the plaid tighter around her. If she was surprised by his attitude, she hid it well. But she couldn't hide the surprise when his arm rested on her shoulder and remained there as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"Better?" she heard.

She glanced at him but he didn't return her gaze, still focused on the wondrous show in the heavens.

"Much better, thank you." she replied. _What is going on here…?_

And they stood there for some time without saying a word. She stopped wondering about his behavior and instead, she simply enjoyed the moment. It felt so good to be in his arms! It was so natural, so safe and so… sweet… She had longed for this for so long, and now all she wanted to do was to stay like this forever!

Then she realized that his arm had moved higher up on her back and his fingers began slowly stroking her neck. This caress was almost unnoticeable yet, so intimate that she felt a warm wave of desire slowly and gradually envelope her body. She tingled; he sensed that but didn't remove his hand.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.

"No…" she whispered. "Don't stop…"

He didn't. He moved his hand slowly further up, ran his fingers through her hair and stroked her ear. His hand loitered on the arch of her neck and when his hand finally rested on her collarbone…she tensed and slipped forward out of his arms. And in the absence of his arm, Candy felt the plaid slip from her shoulders again. It fell on to the grass before she had a time to catch it.

"Forgive me." Albert said dryly and turned his head away, not even trying to hide his insult. "It was a mistake!" _What was I thinking? _He thought, feeling a bitter disappointment filling up his heart.

Candy stood there, unable to speak a word. Oh, no, no he didn't understand at all! She moved away because her body responded to his touch with a force that scared her._ How can I tell him what he is doing to me? _She thought._ Tell, him, tell him something, before it's too late! _yelled the little voice in her head.

"It's not what you think, Albert…" she started. No, that didn't sound right._ Go on, Candy, go on! _Beseeched the voice"You just... surprised me…" No. Wrong again. He didn't even look at her. "I thought I will never feel anything like that…"

At last… He turned to her. "Is that all?"

"What do you want me to say?" she burst out suddenly "How can I get to you if you are hiding from me?

"You aren't being fully honest with me too!" he snapped back at her.

_It was so nice at the beginning; where was this warm atmosphere now? _She complained to herself. _As long as we are talking about neutral matters, it all seems as nothing has changed, but as soon as we touch something personal… what happened to our trust? We used to share everything...! No, no, no!_ The other voice screamed. _Y o u were the one sharing and talking; he's always been listening, giving you advice but barely saying anything about himself!_

Candy stood still, motionless. The cold air that surrounded her bare arms made her skin tighten and with it her goose bumps appeared again but she didn't even notice it, so focused was she on her epiphany. She had just realized that this alluring, seemingly open man standing before her was like a great mystery to her and she doesn't know him at all. She had probably never really known him in the past… and it kind of hurt.

"But I want to." she said quietly. _I want to be honest and I want to know you…_ "I lost myself somewhere… I think we both are lost…"

Albert seemed to relax a bit. "Candy, I think we need to finally talk."

"I owe you that, I know."

"You don't owe me anything. But we do need to explain a lot..."

"I know." she repeated.

"…but not now." he finished. "It's already late and you should rest. It is careless of me to keep you up for so long."

"Hey, don't I get to decide what time I am going to bed?" she protested surprisingly lively, lifting her chin up, "I can take care of myself just fine, I am a big girl already. You told me so, remember?"

He did? Oh yes, a million years ago, on her birthday. She was not a little girl… he knew that all too well! That was the source of his pain! He could see her face, glowing in the dim moonlight. He also looked at her silhouette. It was so delicate, so fragile and yet at the same time so strong, so lively… She was such a wonderful mixture of innocence and maturity, so strongly and helplessly holding his heart…

_Annie was right, there is something different about Candy but still it is going to be a long way to go… _he thought,_ This is not even the beginning... _Fighting his weakness, once again he raised the dam against the tidal wave of feelings drowning his soul. After all he had been through, he feared to have hope.

"Yes, you are an adult now but even adults need to rest." he said, trying the best he could to make his voice sound normal. He bent over, picked up the forgotten plaid and handled it to her. "Let's go, shall we?"

The night was dark, so he drove carefully without looking at her and only when he finally got to the city limits again and the street lamps gave him enough light, he felt more confident. He was used to finding his way around in near complete darkness but that was on foot. Driving was a different story. After a year spent mostly on foot or in a saddle he felt a little awkward behind a steering wheel again.

Candy had been strangely silent since they left the beach and he feared he was the cause of it. Finally, as the road straightened out ahead of them, he felt that only then was it safe to look at her. And one quick glance was enough to understand her silence; she was asleep.

Albert shook his head, wondering at his carelessness. If these few minutes of driving on the bumpy road between the fields were enough to make her feel drowsy, it meant that she was more tired than she cared to admit. _How typical of her, _he thought. _I should have remembered how stubborn she is when it comes to hiding her weariness. We need to talk but taking her on a little rendezvous under the shooting stars wasn't the best way for making things straight. And even though that the atmosphere between us seemed nice and it was even a little romantic for a moment, it was only a deceiving cover. Scratch the surface and… No, we can't continue acting as if this past year never happened. If Annie is right, if there's really a chance for a fresh start, it's only by explaining everything first. We do need to talk but we shouldn't be doing this in a hurry. And most certainly not when she is so tired…_

They had a good twenty minutes of driving ahead and he didn't see any necessity in waking her up. He drove, partially focused on the road, partially on listening her slow, calm breathing and partially on his thoughts. His mind kept wondering at new possibilities, he kept considering, rejecting then reconsidered some more and by the time he stopped at her house, he already knew what he had to do.

He couldn't help but look at her once again. She slept, wrapped in the plaid, with her head slightly to the side and her face was partially covered by her blond hair. Before he realized what he was doing, his hand reached out to her cheek to move a few of her locks aside. Now he had a full view of her shapely lips, now slightly parted. Its shape had been haunting him for so long…! Despite the time that had gone by, he still remembered their taste and how _he _felt tasting them…

_No! _Just before his fingers reached her lips, he rapidly moved his hand back, as if her skin would burn him. He turned away and inhaled deeply, he needed to calm down and clear his mind. _Everything has its time. _

Albert got out of the car and went to the passenger's side. He opened the door and gently shook her arm. She didn't move and he repeated to shake her again only this time more firmly. Finally, she blinked and opened her eyes.

"Come on, sleepyhead, I will take you upstairs." he said.

She didn't resist when he took her by her arm and this alone told him she must have been even more exhausted than he initially thought. "You are not a little girl anymore, but I really feel like I should pin your ears back." he said when they finally got to her door. "You work too much and don't eat properly."

"It's nothing, I'm fine…" she tried to protest but it sounded weak. "I will get some sleep and tomorrow I will be like a new born baby."

"I'm not so sure of that." he said seriously. "Good night, Candy."

"Good night, Albert. And…" she paused and smiled lightly, "...thanks for kidnapping me."

O O O

"Four days, that is the most I can do at that moment. With all due respect, we really are busy." said the director to his guest.

"It should be enough. I am sorry I had to bother you about that, but it was necessary. It is a family matter."

"Of course, I fully understand. But if you allow me to be honest, sir, I have to say the hospital will feel empty. Our patients are joking that they would get ill again just to have a chance to get under her wing!"

"I believe you. She has always been bringing a lot of sunshine with her." said the guest. He then got up, shook the director's hand and turned to walk out "Oh, and one more thing: please inform her about her holiday as a part of the procedure. I don't want her to know about our conversation."

"Of course, sir."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"It's always a pleasure to be at your service, sir." The director said to the guest as the latter turned to leave.

Albert smiled to himself as he closed the door. Candy, this incorrigible girl-woman, was indeed an adult, but it didn't matter. Whether she wanted it or not, he was determined to take care of her from a distance after all…

She just didn't have to know about it.

O O O

Footnotes:

*1* The Douglas Park I mentioned really exists in Chicago. There is a real hospital there, on the south part of this park and, what's interesting is that it is called St. Anthony's ;) and it was built in 1879... So who knows...?

*2* Today **Michigan Avenue Boulevard** is known as South Lake Shore Drive.

*3* **Lake Shore Drive's** origins date back to Potter Palmer, who coerced the city to build the street adjacent to his lakefront property to enhance its value. Palmer built his "castle" at 1350 N. Lake Shore Drive in 1882. The drive was originally intended for leisurely strolls for the wealthy in their carriages, but as the auto age dawned it took on a different role completely. Today LSD is divided by the Chicago River on two parts: North Lake Shore Drive and South Lake Shore Drive

*4* **The Municipal Pier (today known as The Navy Pier)** was constructed in May of 1914 and opened in 1916 to the public. At that point in history it was the largest Pier in the world (3,300-foot (1,010 m)) known to be built and its primary purpose was as a cargo facility for lake freighters. However, it provided not only warehouses built up and down the pier but also docking space for passenger excursion steamers, and in the pre-air conditioning era parts of the pier, especially its outermost tip, were designed to serve as cool places for public gathering and entertainment. The pier even had its own streetcar. Today, Navy Pier is Chicago's number one tourist attraction

*5* All these places and streets above **(Municipal Pier, Lincoln Park, Sheridan Road, Graceland, St. Bonifacius and Calvary Cemeteries and the North-Western University)** still exist today, under the same names.

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	5. ECHOES

**I heard the rumblings of disappointment, that Candy was being too hesitant. So easy to say;) What would _y o u _do if a handsome and irresistibly attractive wild cat deceivingly disguised as William Albert Andrew, your former friend and caretaker unexpectedly snatched you on a little rendezvous under the shooting stars? Wouldn't you be intimidated just a little, at best? Or, would you? I would be. Although I wouldn't hesitate to get to the point of such a romantic encounter. And I don't mean talking... *ahem!* ;P**

**Anyway…*ahem!* it was sort of a date but it didn't happen to be the best way to make things right. With so much that was unspoken, so much left unexplained from both sides… it required more time to talk about this than just a few minutes during this short meeting. But don't worry, our dear blond feline didn't lose his brains in Africa… He has a plan.**

.

.

**CHAPTER FIVE: ECHOES**

Chicago, 14th August 1922

_'Dear Candy,'_ she read. She found this letter slipped under her door and recognized Albert's hand writing right away. _'I am leaving Chicago for a moment. The editors are waiting and I need to finish my articles. Here, I have no chance for peace and quiet. I also want to see the changes at Pony's Home._

_I would be honored if you joined me in Lakewood. I believe you need some rest as well as I do. We would also have time to talk… _

_I will be waiting in Lakewood until the end of August. _

_Yours, Albert'_

_To Lakewood… _she still didn't believe Lakewood belonged to her. She wasn't actually thinking about this at all. Maybe it was the time to start? _I will not get an opportunity like this any time soon. My next vacation isn't until next year…_

The anticipation of the meeting filled her with fear, pain, wanting, longing, hope and then she felt it all again, only this time, not in that order…

But this didn't stop her, even for a second.

O O O

Lakewood, 15th August 1922

Albert crossed the gate and immediately smelt the delicate scent of flowers that surrounded him. It has been nearly five days now that he's been basking in lovely, wonderful peace and quiet, his only companions being, were the sun, the wind and the whispering of the leaves in the forest.

His perambulation took him towards the rose bushes. Daisies carpeted the ground, so much so in fact, that Albert could barely see the deep green grass underneath them. He chose a suitable spot and sat down.

He could still remember how surprised all of his servants were when he gave them an unexpected three week vacation and he had even forbidden them to come back anytime earlier.

"But that is improper!" Greta, the cook had resisted alongside Mrs. Parson. "We will be derided if it gets out that we are not working while you are in residence, sir."

"Nobody has to know. Thank you for your concern, Greta, but I just want to have some time absolutely on my own. I can take care of myself and everything here."

The rest of the servants also had opposed faithfully. "But the garden…" "What about the horses…?"

"There's not much work in a garden now and I will be pleased to take care of the horses. I have to exercise my old bones anyway." he said jokingly. Some chuckling could be heard among the servants because they knew he was in perfect shape. "Greta, just make sure there's enough food in the larder, I will empty it for sure but anyway, can you arrange for Benton to bring me fresh milk every two days? That would be just fine. And now, goodbye to everybody!" he smiled and made a playful gesture as if he was shooing away a flock of chickens. "Go and enjoy your own homes!"

He was glad he did that. He missed being alone so much! He had one more reason; he didn't want to have anybody here but her. It was going to be a monumental but important turning point for them and no matter how it was going to end, even if it meant the end of everything, even their past friendship, he wanted to have her and only her for himself. He had a reason for it…

.

Albert sat there and enjoyed the sweet scent of the roses, its fragrance wafted towards him in the gentle breeze. The flowers that surrounded him were so familiar, so well known to him and yet so completely different from the flora he had encountered in the Republic of Congo. That train of thought alone made him reminisce about the past year, all those places he had been, all the things he had done. He could remember everything as if it happened yesterday and he still missed all of it. The Congo had kept his body and mind busy and consoled his sore soul enough to enjoy life again. There was an abundance of beauty there! So many things had lain in wait, hidden, yearning, wanting to be discovered and then there were new places to be explored!

The group he had been part of wasn't big, only a gathered few men: the guide, professor Kleiner of ornithology, his four assistants, a young student who had joined at the last minute, himself and a few local villagers hired to help out. He was the one financially supporting the research but it was the professor who led the group. They travelled from Goma, the main city on the north bank of Lake Kivu, down south along its west coast, as it was planned. And the plan was, at least for a while, to check on the population of birds migrating and nesting in this area. The time for his own study was yet to come.

It had felt so good to share the experience and knowledge with similar minded people! Working together, setting up the camp, discussions until dawn – all this had brought them closer from being acquaintances to friends, at least for the time being. He could finally enjoy the independence he desired for so long. He could finally let his instincts work freely, without any fear of being judged by the stiff minds of civilization. Here, he didn't have to hide behind any masks. Here, in the jungle, he finally felt like a part of creation. And then there were more and more challenges, more research to be done, more discoveries to be made, more mysteries of life in the jungle, more danger ever present... And then there were smiles of deep pleasure coming from the fact that he finally had something that had brought some meaning to his life. He felt a real satisfaction coming from work done by his own hands and mind and with it came some sort of primitive pride of being capable to survive in such severe and sometimes extreme conditions. He really managed! The animal within him was finally home.

And that's how it went, on and on.

Week after week.

Month after month...

He had almost believed that he could happily live alongside nature… Almost… because even though he had not even mentioned her name once in all that time, not even in his thoughts, it all kept coming back to him in uneasy dreams, leaving him with only pain in the morning. No matter how hard he had tried to push her out of his thoughts in the daytime, she kept occupying his mind at night. And instead of fading with time, it had increased, especially around Christmas. That was when he broke the promise that he had made to himself and sent a letter to her. Only a few words of good luck for the New Year and a few lines about his research, written sparingly, but it was enough for him to feel relieved. Once again he tried to convince himself that he'd freed himself from her but it wasn't as easy as it had been at the first time, in Lakewood. Lakewood was for him like a breath of much desired fresh air, no wonder then he felt freed from everything, _including_ her. But the illusion hadn't lasted for long and the Congo wasn't going to be any different. After some time, when he was sure that his letter, even though delayed, must have been delivered to its recipient, the thoughts of her came back again and this time it felt so intense as if her spirit was near him. But that was something he was going to understand later, much later...

On the seventh month, around the end of February, they arrived at Bukavu, the main city on the south part of the lake. There they replenished their food and medical supplies. He even managed to get some alcohol for which he could use as an antiseptic should he need it or he could even save it and use it to celebrate should he ever have an epiphany. After the brief stop, the company set off in the direction of their target and when they got to the east coast of the lake, the group then split into two, leaving him alone, as they had agreed earlier. The professor and his team headed for the next project site, this time on the large, seemingly uninhabited island. Their goal was again, to check on the population of birds living undisturbed on this isolated land and mark them with rings.

And he could finally begin his journey up north. He was heading towards the Virunga Volcanoes. He had been observing the behavior of lowland gorillas since October, now he wanted to compare it with a lifestyle of those from the mountain. He knew it would have taken him about a week to get to the mountain and later when he got there, there were still a few months ahead of him but after so long of being attuned to the dangers around him, he had felt confident enough to be left on his own. He didn't have much with him, just his two horses; one was carrying him, and his sacks with the clothes, the gun and a machete while the other was serving as a porter for the food supplies, the most necessary camping equipment such as the tent and the basic utensils and most important: the camera, wrapped carefully in his sleeping bag and packed in a wooden case.

But beside the research, it was also going to be the time for his solitary contemplations. It was going to be the contemplation of his pitiful fate that didn't let him free himself from a woman who would never love him back the way he desired. It was going to be the contemplation of his pitiful fate that had thrown the vision of a lonely life in his future right in his face. Because he was going to be lonely, he had no doubts. He already knew that he would never love anybody but her. _It would be easier for me to stop breathing than stop loving her,_ he admitted finally and that certainty filled him with a somewhat anguished feeling. She had poisoned his life and he doubted if he would ever marry anyone else, even if it was by a cold, calculated and reasonable decision. But even if he did eventually marry someone, he knew that it would be a marriage set by duty not love and it also would have to be to a person who didn't have any feelings for him. He hated himself for being in that state, but he felt burnt out and incapable of giving anything anymore. He didn't want to make some woman unhappy because of his lack of feelings towards her and never ending longing for another woman. And that would definitely happen if this poor woman was, God forbid, in love with him. Either way, married or not, he was always going to be lonely. _Internally lonely and forever unfulfilled,_ he wondered sadly as he quickly carried on towards the mountains. The time spent there was meant to help him to find the answers that he had craved for, for so long. Maybe it will show him what to do next.

But to his downright disappointment, fate, it would seem once again dealt its hand and he wasn't granted even the liberty of pitying himself. After nearly a day had gone by and when he was preparing to set up a temporary camp for the evening, he heard a horse snort and a human voice calling out from behind him. He turned and saw that a member of their group had followed him. What was worse, the voice said that he had gotten permission from professor Kleiner to leave the group as well. It was the student!

He was infuriated that somebody had destroyed his plans, whether it was intentional or otherwise. Yet, he was totally unprepared for an even bigger surprise to come; the student suddenly spoke with a different voice and to his utter shock it sounded very, very familiar! It sounded like… Jolie McPherson? He couldn't believe his ears; it _was_ Jolie McPherson!

He remembered starring at her in shock as she was approaching and his eyes wondered briefly at her attire. Long, beige trousers, loose shirt, short black hair under a male hat, a neat black beard and mustache… A visage they had all gotten used to for so many months! And now he had answers for questions that had fermented within him all that time… All the men let their beards grow freely, shaving completely only when the thickness and the length of the beards became unbearable in this hot and sticky climate. And all of them had always wondered how the 'student's' beard always looked so immaculate, as if he just came out of a barber shop… The answer was obvious now: this was because 'his' mustache and 'his' beard was artificial! He suddenly understood why 'the student' also took extra care to keep his hair short. Firstly, 'he' wanted to keep the entire image impeccable as to not draw attention and secondly, 'he' wanted to hide his real gender. Longer hair would have been definitely too suspicious. He also realized why 'the student' had kept 'himself' to himself. The group always thought of the student as talented but yet extremely shy. But now he knew, it wasn't because 'he' was shy; it was because 'he' was actually 'her'. Jolie McPherson.

He couldn't believe how she had managed to hide her true identity for so long. So many nights they had shared together near the fire, so many manly jokes that made them all laugh… How could _he_ have not known? Maybe he had immersed himself one hundred percent with work or maybe it was from the strain of trying to forget his feelings for Candy… He didn't quite know. But what he did know was that he should have noticed earlier. He knew her and he was the one who has had years of experience of wearing a fake beard when he was younger! He should have noticed; him of all people! He even knew how she could even think of such a crazy way of hiding amongst them; it must have been that day when she helped him in the Weston's stable. The day when she was wearing male clothes; that must have given her the idea!

He couldn't get back after the rest of the group; he was already too far north. He also couldn't just send her back alone and she knew it too; the scientists were by this time probably already on the island. As they were approaching Goma, he had the thought of leaving her in the city but it too wasn't an acceptable option. The sense of responsibility from each and every member of the group toward every other member had developed over the past few months and this alone didn't allow him to just leave her alone in a strange city. He had no other choice so he grudgingly let her stay with him.

It indeed took altogether nearly a week of fast travel to get to Virunga. There, in the clearing between the trees he finally set up a permanent camp, with the tent, a shelter for the horses, a stony stove for cooking, and, what was most important, with a very thick barricade around the camp made from thorn bushes. He remembered from his previous trip that this barricade was known in Sudan as a zareba*6* but even though he didn't know its Congo name, its physical equivalent did the job well. But while the wild animals were successfully kept at bay outside the camp, he soon realized very quickly that life _inside_ the camp won't necessarily go undisturbed. Jolie had never seemed to care much about conventionality but if he ever needed to have any more proof of her being a trouble maker, he had it. She started making trouble that very first evening. She started to flirt with him…

He was feeling ambivalent; both irritated and amused, even a little curious as to how far she would go to break his defenses. But he wasn't going to break, of course and every time she tried her little games, he discouraged her, gently at first, more firmly as she upped the ante. He could offer her only his friendship, nothing more but if he thought that this message was clear at that time, he was very much mistaken. He has forgotten what she said once about her determination to get whatever she wants. Her presence here was proof of it. Even her tenacity in her attempts was proof enough. And she continued her little games for another week, and then another… and another… More than a month had passed… He just didn't bother reacting to her anymore. _One day she will give up, _he hoped.

After a few more weeks of being in her company, he just couldn't bare it anymore and decided he needed to take a drink. The alcohol that he had saved was very much in need _now_; it was the only thing that he could think of that would drown her out…

It was one of those nights, one of those when he was dreaming about Candy. It felt normal at first, she was so near, yet, so distant, so unattainable… Just another one of those dreams that filled him with bitterness afterwards, but later on, the dream started to change. It was like she really came to him and was here beside him, with him in Congo. He couldn't see her, but could feel her first, then the light and timid touch of her hand, her body next to his… He could finally touch her as he had always wanted, as he had always desired, that which he has never even experienced in his unfulfilled dreams… and he knew that this was a dream, in every meaning! And what a wonderful dream it was too! He wanted to enjoy everything that she could offer him in this dream world. She seemed so firm, embracing him with all her body… This was his Shangri-La. He was sinking… sinking… sinking… Oh, he had been secretly dreaming of this for so many long years! To finally feel her hands, so curious on his naked flesh, the taste of her lips, making love to her, like he always wanted, it was such a sensational feeling, pure and unadulterated delirium… He let out a small moan of pleasure. To feel the taste of her lips…the taste of her… Wait. Her lips… Her lips were different than he remembered… and hands all over his body… her hands?

He managed to open his eyes. It wasn't a dream; it was really happening but there were no blond curls neither the emerald eyes to be seen, they were never present here, they were never a part of this reality. He could barely see in the shadows of the tent, but the black hair was unmistakable. It was Jolie who was on top of him and once he realized that, all the magic disappeared within the blink of an eye and he, now fully awake, had not felt any more satisfaction… All he felt from this bizarre act was irritation.

"No!" he shouted. His manly instinct wanted to continue but his common sense had made him push Jolie off him. The broken act had made his entire body shake violently, but his anger was making him shake even more. He sat up, raging: "What the hell are you doing?"

"What do you think?" she smiled, stretching her slim body, "Maybe, perhaps, I am swimming in the Atlantic?"

"Listen, Jolie, you somehow sneaked into our group without my permission, fine. You stayed hiding for months, making us all look like idiots, fine. You forced your presence on me after they left and I didn't have a choice but to let you stay with me, fine, you have your adventure. But since then you have been doing absolutely everything to make me regret that decision! Don't you dare do anything like that ever again, do you understand?"

"Why, are you going to punish me somehow? Or leave me in the nearest city?" she laughed, not even slightly embarrassed. "Oops…I forgot, no cities within many, many miles. We are in the middle of the nowhere, my dear."

"Don't play your games with me!" he warned. "You can always sleep outside the tent, or even outside the camp; there's plenty of room out there! Or you could go back to Goma, I don't care, you proved to be capable of taking care of yourself!"

"Ooh, I'm sooo scared!" she had winked at him but his angered suggestion of travelling back to Goma on her own must have given her a second thought because she added humbly: "Alright, okay… I know when to say 'pass'. I give up. I've used up all my tricks!"

Her frankness was truly annoying and truly… disarming!

She had indeed given up her initial plan and that had made the stay a little easier. Without her flirtatious attempts he had once again found her company refreshing; she had a bright and astute mind, they shared a scientific passion and he was kind of impressed by her courage. She was a good companion after all. But only a companion. She was a very attractive woman and even a blind person would guess by then that she was highly attracted to him, but _he_ wasn't able to offer her more than his friendship._ Maybe there is something wrong with me? _he wondered. _Every man would crawl over broken glass to be with a woman like her; beautiful, intelligent, passionate… I must be an idiot to have doubts…_

Even though neither of them mention a word of it, but since that night he hadn't stop wondering at what made her make such a bold move. He sensed her interests in him back in Chicago but she wasn't _that _audacious… but then again, there were people everywhere. Here, it was just them two. Maybe being here, in the vast wildness had such an influence on her, he was guessing. Here, everything was all about instincts and senses…The life here felt so unrestrained, so wonderfully simple and it seemed like the outside world didn't really exist. He felt for most of the time like a free, wild animal so why wouldn't she feel the same way? And he felt the temptation to follow those instincts, he did. But there was something that had stopped him in his tracks. He was thinking. It was the awareness of the fact that the outside world did exist after all. Besides, he did have his rules, no matter if he was in this world or the one he temporarily left behind. Perhaps they allowed the wild surroundings influence them and where they could let their instincts lead them to become lovers. For how long, he was asking? The time here wasn't unlimited, one day they will have to go back to civilization, to their real lives and then what? Pretend as nothing happened? No, his conscience wouldn't let him. His decency would have probably imposed him to marry her but he was shuddering even at the very thought of it. That was exactly what he was afraid of: a woman who was more attracted to him than he was to her. They wouldn't be an even balance. After many nights of wondering, he was sure of it, he was certain of his attitude towards her. He respected her as a friend and he liked her, he really did. There was something about her that made him like her despite the fact how irritating she could be at any given moment and what she did that night and he did feel a sparkle of what could be called desire at best, he was honest with himself enough to admit it - but there was no love. He couldn't find anything in his heart that could perhaps blossom and become a real love for her one day and that wasn't going to change no matter how much time he spent convincing himself that maybe she could have been his answer. It was something just beyond him. He liked discussions with her, but it could have been anybody else in her place. He liked her now but if she suddenly disappeared from his life, he wouldn't miss her, at least not in the way a man misses his woman. Her absence wouldn't be painful. She was nobody special to him and it would hurt her if she knew it but it would probably hurt her even more if she found that out later, if they ever tried at all.

It was tough to so coldly analyze the lack of his feelings towards her, but he had no choice. If he was any man, he wouldn't have any doubts and would simply embark in an affair with her but he was at the end of the day, Albert, always thinking of the others and this Albert in him liked Jolie too much to offer her such an unfair relationship. She deserved much more as a woman. A companionship and perhaps friendship; that was utmost he could offer to her and this time he made that crystal clear. And this time she seemed to accept it. Or so he had thought.

"Albert, who is Candy for you?" she asked him out of the blue one evening. They had been around Virunga for nearly three months now.

He didn't know quite what to think of the tone of her voice nor the question she had asked. Talking about research was one thing, but their private lives on the other hand, that was an entirely different thing. He thought he had made that clear, didn't he? "Why are you asking?" he shrugged.

"You were sleep talking last night."

And even at the bare mention of his night experiences he felt his defenses shoot sky high, up and beyond. "That is something I won't discuss with you!" he replied firmly.

"Do you love her?" she pressed.

"None of your business!" he said coldly.

"You do." she replied to herself as if she didn't even need his answer, "Even asleep, you have the face of calamitous guy tormented by love."

"I said none of your bloody business!" he hissed, with each passing second getting more irritated. Whether he liked her or not, it didn't matter anymore; truly she had possessed a really annoying ability to get within an instant under his skin and pull the worst out of him!

"Why aren't you with her then?" she hadn't even paid attention to his anger. "She dumped you? Did she leave with another guy?"

"No. And that's all you need to know."

"Oh, I see…! She either doesn't know about your affection or she knows but she doesn't want you. If that's the case, she must be a complete idiot!"

"Don't you dare talk about her this way!" he yelled, losing his control completely.

"I have heard this name before, I'm sure." she continued as if he wasn't even there. "I must have met her somewhere, our world is so tiny after all… Wait a minute… This little protégée of yours… What was her name again? Camille? Cassie? No… Candice? Yes, Candice – Candy! It's so obvious… I remember her from the party. I understand now… She couldn't take her eyes of young Grandchester…" she mocked him, whilst smiling mockingly, proving that she knew about everything right from the off "…and not only her eyes…" she added meaningfully, "It must have been a very upsetting view for you…"

A loud slap was heard as the back of his hand connected with the side of her face.

This was the first time in his life he raised his hand to a woman!

She didn't cry. She just stood there, pressing her palm against her reddened cheek and glared at him. "I believe I deserved that." she said dryly and left him.

They hadn't spoken for another couple of weeks since that day. He had felt insulted by what she did, how she intruded in his affairs and also a bit ashamed for that _he _did but too proud to admit it; she had remained silent to show him either some respect or disdain. He never found that out. In the meantime he had acknowledged his research as done and began packing everything. No matter how he wished to stay here longer, his time here was at an end; it was June and he had to go back home. They silently headed for the lake. But to his surprise once again she was the one who tried to break the wall. She had approached him again when they were only a few hours away from Goma.

"I know I'm nosy and irritating." she had begun, "You can think of me as bad as you want. But, damn it, I like you, dear Mr. Andrew. And I feel sorry for you."

"I do not require your pity." He had hissed.

"Oh thank you, all Greek and Roman gods, he has spoken at last!" Jolie had looked up and raised her arms in the air in a theatrical manner. She looked back at him, lowered her arms and said "I was serious. Let me help you."

He couldn't believe his ears. "Let _you_?"

"Come on, speak up, you need this… I can see this is eating you up! I give you my word as a first-rate hag that this stays between us two, right here, in Rwanda." she then tapped the ground they were sitting on.

He had felt really surprised that he actually believed her. She seemed to him to be a woman of thousand faces and he had no intention of finding out which one was real, but for some weird reason he believed her. And even though she wasn't maybe a right person to confide, she was right; it _was_ eating him up and he _did _need someone. And this time round there was no George to console him. "You are right, damn you! You were right about Grandchester." he had given up and he told her their story. The abridged version, the very much abridged version. He spared her from hearing how deeply hurt he felt through all these years. He also skipped mentioning the fact that the thought of Candy was still haunting him, despite the time and the distance. Jolie was intelligent enough to conclude all this from his sleep talking habits. "I still consider Terry as one of my closest friends." He finished. "There was, maybe still is, and will exist forever, I don't know, a really great bond between them, but they could not be together, there was Susanna… Candy said she won't ever stop loving him. I am very close to her, but she sees me only as a brother."

Jolie's face smirked. "Well, next time I see her I will congratulate her for her blindness."

"Why?"

"Hello, when was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror properly? Oh, sorry; the vanity mirror you have in your sack is barely good enough for shaving. Okay, so let me, fussy Jolie McPherson tell you this: you are a fantastic guy! Oh come on, stop it!" she had snorted, as she saw his raising irritation. "I am not trying to flirt with you again, I know male nature and it's obvious to me that you are beyond hope! Believe it or not but I'm just surprised that she too was blind to the obvious treasure she had. But she still can see it, trust me, I know enough about female nature too. You can still make her fall for you. "

"Okay, okay I can't wait for your verdict." he had remained serious but inside, even though against his will, he had felt a little amused. "What should I do, Miss Expert?"

But he would have never expected was the answer she gave him. "Seduce her." She said.

"Do _what_?" he felt his eyes almost popping out.

"Seduce her." she repeated "Listen, I have known you for quite a while now and you must know that I have been watching you quite closely. You are too much of a white knight. She has to understand that before anything else, whatever you mean to her, most of all, you are _a man. _A male, speaking precisely our weird scientists' language: an alpha male; sometimes caring, sometimes raging, but most of all, dominating. You have proven to be capable of either." she teased him, using his own words.

"You are mad! Seduce her?" he still couldn't believe his ears. What she was saying stood completely opposite to what he was taught!

"Yes, you slow poke, in every meaning of this word, any meaning. Don't tell me I have to teach you how…" she added with sarcasm. "She shared with Terry great feelings. They were feelings only and nothing more, now he is gone from her forever. Point for you, you can show her more, give her more… You have _some _fire…" she had glanced at him meaningfully "…she just can't see it yet. Help her with that. Take a risk, what else could you lose?"

The knightly part of him as she called it had still resisted. "Her trust and closeness for example?" he said.

"Oh, I'm sure you haven't lost it already by running away from her, no way!" she had gone sarcastic again. And she had a point, she was right again, damn her! "Go on then, play your role of a white knight, but remember, one day she might meet someone else and you will lose her anyway."

Like he had never thought of this before!

"I really doubt if I will ever make it use out of what you just said, but thanks, Jolie, really." he said finally.

"Do what you want." she shrugged, "But you could be her first, take an advantage of that!"

Like he had never thought of this before!

"You are an extraordinary woman, McPherson, you do know that?" it had escaped him. "Don't get me wrong but with your character you should be a man!"

"I'll take that as a compliment, thanks." she chuckled, "And you know, when I was a little girl, I did regret I wasn't a man. Men, you have so much more space and freedom! But when I grew up I discovered I didn't look too bad…" she sighed again and swung her hand against her body. "...and it is actually quite fun to use it…"

"You do not need to be _so _demure. You are a very attractive woman." he said obviously.

"But there's no man for me. I despise chauvinists. And weaklings." she added quickly "And the only man stronger than me desperately wants another woman. I will probably end up as an embittered spinster, wandering the world from one challenge to another."

"I doubt that very much. But I feel really sorry for the poor lad who would proclaim himself the luckiest, because he managed to drag you to the altar… You will be the death of him!"

"So I will become a little black widow and you will come running to console me." she playfully tapped his arm and both burst out with laughter. It was a much welcomed release. "If you ever change your mind about Candy, let me know." she added, still giggling madly. "I will be the first in a queue."

"No, thanks. My life is too precious to me, you know?" he had replied teasingly, still laughing. "But to be truthful," he had added after a moment, this time more seriously, "you deserved more than I can ever give you, believe me. So much more, Jolie…"

When they finally arrived in Goma, the appointed meeting city, he received a message in which prof. Kleiner informed him that he and his assistants had already left for Mombasa. The letter was dated two weeks before and even though he decided to follow the same route, he didn't count on meeting up with the professor or anyone else from the group. They were probably already on their way to New York.

They boarded their plane in the morning and after a seven hour flight they landed in Mombasa to find that the liner to their destination was scheduled to depart the next morning.

The second leg of their journey went smoothly and was pretty much uneventful. The journey from Mombasa to Cairo took two days and they spent it mostly on the deck, admiring the mountainous coasts of Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea and Sudan. They finally arrived on the shores next to the desert in Egypt. There, they bade their farewells in Cairo, he going his way and she, hers and onward towards her own life's little story.

Two weeks later he had arrived back in America.

O O O

Footnotes:

*6* **Zareba or zareeba **- An improvised stockade made from thorn bushes or similar, built or grown around the camp for protection. Origins: Sudan.

Author's notes:

Logan, my love - thank you, thank you, thank you! It was a hell of a chapter and without your help wouldn't be as half as good... Also, it started as 2,5 pages doc. (I wrote it before getting to read Rosa's chapters 7-9, as they were not translated at the time) and it evolved into 6,5 pages. So thank you again for the nights while I was at work, thank you for helping me with the research and again, the editing and some of the rewrites.

PS. If you find this chapter disappointing or rubbish - blame him. That's what he said! ;)

©GosieKin 2009


	6. THE STORIES

**CHAPTER SIX: THE STORIES**

Lakewood, 16th August 1922

She stood at the entrance to the long, green driveway. Oh, she could remember it so well! It had been a while since she was here last time, but nothing seemed to have changed here at all. The train from Chicago took forever, but finally arrived in Lakewood in the afternoon. The train station that greeted her was the same, tiny as always, only it seemed it had been recently refreshed with a new coat of red and white paint. Also the road outside was now covered with new gravel. She started to walk. She didn't get far when she looked back and noticed a horsedrawn cart loaded with hay coming towards her. She smiled for she had a plan. The slow moving cart slowly passed her and without a moment's hesitation, she leaped into the back and into the hay. The cart plodded its way gently towards her destination._ This_ was the way to get to the crossroads…

And now she was finally here. Candy was immersed in the shadowy serenity of the long path that led to the building. She greeted every tree along the way with a smile, every rock, every flower, until finally, she was at the gate…

The garden stood in the hot humid air of a mid August afternoon, sparkling with the same beauty and magic as always. Many of the flowers were still in blossom, some of the roses too. She looked closer, recognizing all their colors, the dark pink ones, purple, red and yellow... There! She left her luggage on the main path and walked towards a green bush. This species only blossomed in the spring and it was a miracle that there was still this one flower left, almost hidden away within the dark foliage, its brilliant white petals were peeking out, almost crying out to her. Not caring if she dirtied her knees and shoes, she knelt on the flower-bed.

"Hello, Sweet Candy!" she smiled at the rose which she had carefully enclosed in her palms as if she was protecting it from a stray gust of wind. Her nose inched closer to the flower, she closed her eyes and breathed deep its sweet scent. Its color and fragrance reminded her of an age of innocence… Distant memories flooded back like a tidal wave, and for a moment, she was lost in her own little world. So many memories... laughter... tears... the childishly brave ideas... when she finally opened her eyes, she sensed that she was not the only person in the garden any more.

"You came."

She turned and saw Albert walking towards her. "Yes." she replied simply.

So much one can express with just one word!

He held her hand and helped her get up off the ground, looking in her eyes. "I am really glad." he said in the same way. She turned to take her suitcase. "Please, let me." he bent and picked it up. "Come."

"I haven't been here for so long" she sighed as they walked up the stairs.

"You should have been. It's your house."

"I still can't believe it."

"I was just about to have some food. Would you care to join me?" he said opening the door.

"With pleasure!" her eyes shone with enthusiasm "The train left so early in the morning that I didn't get to eat much for breakfast."

"Candy, Candy…Why am I not surprised?" Albert shook his head and she shrugged. Then he glanced at the smudges on her dress and his lips curled into a noticeable smile. "If you want to refresh yourself, your room is ready. I will wait for you."

"I need only a few minutes."

"Take your time; we are not in a hurry."

She smiled and started to make her way to the first floor. Albert stood by the window, watching her until she disappeared upstairs. Then he turned and locked his absent gaze on the motionless pines behind the gate.

_So you came, Candy, _he thought.

O O O

In the bedroom Candy washed her face and arms as best and as quickly as she could for she was covered with dust from the journey. "Here I am, Albert…" she whispered as she quickly put on fresh clothes. "The Day has come…"

When she came back down, the hall was empty.

"Where are you, Albert?" she called and the answer 'Here!' came from the direction of the back door which lead to the kitchen. "I should have guessed." she murmured to herself. "I'm coming!"

As soon as she came in, she noticed straight away that everything was already prepared. All that was left for her to do was to sit at the big working table made of pine and watch him serve the meal. They both started to eat once Albert sat down. "I see that it's not only in Chicago that you try to avoid the dinning room?" she said with a smile between bites.

"I just feel more comfortable here, that's all." he replied shortly.

"Me too, you know that…" she tried to make the atmosphere less formal by revoking their old common habit but it didn't work. _He seems so official...Why? _She thought with a slight disappointment as they ate in silence. _He wasn't like this the last time I saw him! Why does he treat me almost like a stranger? I came here, isn't that a sign good enough for him?_

"I almost forgot the taste of your cooking!" she forced herself to give him a wide smile when they finished. "Thank you. It was delicious."

"I am glad to hear that."

She watched his steady moves as he cleaned the table, poured the water into the sink and washed the dishes. _How can he be so firm and calm?_ She thought feverishly, _I'm all falling apart!_

"Would you like to get some rest first?" he asked her as he dried his hands, "Or go for a walk?"

_I know I could delay it a little… But no, I cannot be a coward anymore! _

"Thanks, Albert but I think those can wait." she replied. "There will be enough time for all that too, I'm sure."

He nodded. "Come with me then." he took her gently by her arm and led her to his study room. "What do you think we should start with?"

"I don't know, Albert. To be honest I have no idea." she admitted simply.

"Alright, maybe we could begin with the easiest thing… Would you like to hear about Africa?"

"Would I want to hear?" she nearly jumped with excitement, yet, also with a slight relief that the conversation wouldn't start with the most painful of things, "I have been dying to know ever since you came back! You didn't say much in the letter."

"Very well, then. Have a seat and make sure you are comfortable… It will take a while…"

O O O

The hours passed and there he was, still telling her stories, describing every detail, explaining… Sometimes Candy interrupted him with some questions and he was really pleased to see that she was so enthusiastic and concerned about the smallest of details. She was such a wonderful listener!

"I also have some photographs." he walked to his desk and pulled out a little package from the top drawer. "Do you want to see?

"Oh, yes!"

He sat down beside her, untied the string that held the small package together and handed it to her. Candy took out the first of the photographs and was instantly enchanted by it. She scrutinized every single one of the photos and noted minute details. Candy listened to his every word as he described the scenery in each one and she could almost feel herself being there.

"I fail to even begin to tell you what I feel when I look at all of this." she said with a delightful smile. "The jungle, the mountains, volcanoes, animals… All of this is just inexpressibly beautiful!"

"Isn't it? And think - this is just black and white… Imagine all of this, but alive, bristling with colors and the power of nature!"

"And you are here…" she pointed at one of the photos and gently lifted it up to take a closer look. It was the one with him outside the tent. "Working?"

"Yes, I was updating the diary with my daily observations."

"And this one, with animals!" she pointed at another photograph, "These are gorillas, aren't they?" she recognized.

"Yes, they are indeed. It took me a long time to gain their trust."

"How did you do that?"

"Well, I was following them from the distance to see where the go and what they eat. Once I did that, I was trying to make them accept me as a part of the forest. Initially they were running away, but every day I sat closer and closer waiting for their arrival. And finally they accepted me. I spotted the group leader, a silverback, and tried to imitate the group behavior, you know, treat him with respect."

"But you look like..." she narrowed her eyes on the photo, "...you look like you are eating leaves!"

"Yes. It's easier to chew leaves than roots" he laughed seeing her amazement. "How do you think I bribed them? Roots are their relish, so I kept giving them the best ones. In their world, respect is shown in a different way than our human world."

"How about this one?" she held up the last photo. Albert was holding some tools, working on something.

He hesitated for a moment. It was Jolie who took the photo; he had been so deeply focused in what he was doing that he didn't realize she was there at all. Candy didn't know it, but that was when he was finishing the quartz lion. The figurine was formed for her, with the thought of her melted into every stroke, every grind, even if he doubted at that time that he was ever going to give it to her. He changed his mind after he had the chat with Jolie.

"I was just examining some minerals." he replied nonchalantly.

Candy slowly and carefully wrapped up the photos, tied it up neatly back into a package and put it on the side. She was contemplative. "Were you happy there?" she finally asked.

"Happy?" Albert shrugged his shoulders, "I was living among the nature, depending only on myself, my knowledge, my instincts, heading for the targets _I_ chose. I was living according to my nature and character… But yes, I guess this is very close to what you can call happiness." He glanced at her and she nodded in understanding. "And you, Candy? How was your life? Were you happy?"

"No." she said after a moment's hesitation. Now was the time the painful stories begin.

"What did you feel then?"

"I think it would be easier to say what I _didn_'t feel…"

"Tell me." he demanded, "I would like to understand."

Candy sat silent for a moment, lowering her eyes and gaining her inner strength. "I had never felt so many different, rampageous and painful emotions. It was a really weird and long year…" she sighed. "When you left without even saying goodbye I felt like I lost the ground from underneath my feet. I felt abandoned again, completely alone in this world. I was embittered and angry, oh, so angry with you! You have been always leaving me like that, just disappearing without a word… I felt unworthy of even a simple goodbye! But I also missed you, missed you so much… your presence, your support, your voice, your smile... That's why I moved out. I thought it would be easier that way, but…"

"Was it?" he inquired.

"No, not at all. I had begun to realize _w h y_ you left_…_ I was so blind! Tell me, Albert, how could have I been so selfish?"

"Selfish is the last word I could use to describing you, Candy." he protested quietly.

"But I was! I was selfish to you! I focused only on myself, too blind to see you… I will never, ever be able to apologize enough for that!" she bowed her head in disconsolation, not being able to look him in the eyes. "I missed you of course. I missed you, all of you, all that you meant to me. And then, something changed, I couldn't understand that at first… I started to long for you to be more than you were before…"

"Annie had a talk with me, Candy." he suddenly confessed.

"She told you?"

"Just some. She wanted me to hear it from you."

He could almost see her inner fight. "I felt so torn, Albert!" tears swelled in her eyes. "I still am. What I feel for you…" she placed her hand on her heart, "…is so strong and yet so fragile at the same time… On one side I want to make sure it is genuine, maybe give it a chance… on the other I know that I have absolutely no rights in asking you for anything, for any 'trials'. Not after how I'd threatened you. You deserved more! You should love someone who can respond the same way, without the doubts I have..." she couldn't speak any longer, her voice was failing her.

Albert took her hand and gently squeezed it. "I need to ask you about something, Candy. I am sorry but this is not going to be easy…"

She nodded.

"Do you still think about Terry?"

So they got to this point too. Candy was silent.

"Do you?" he repeated.

Candy remained silent. She breathed in deeply and then she replied… "I cannot lie to you, Albert. Not about this… Yes, I do sometimes think about Terry…" She saw the sudden pain in his deep blue eyes but continued, "…but I don't long for him... Do you see the difference?"

"Not really." was his reply.

"After we had parted in New York, all those years ago, I thought I shouldn't think about him." she began explaining, "It hurt, madly hurt! I pushed every thought of him out before they had a chance to actually form. I realized later I was wrong. The more you deny the pain, the stronger it comes back to you. I realized that I have to accept that pain as a part of me, feel it and let it burn down… It's been more than a year since I saw him last time and it still hurts a little but I know for sure that one day I will be able to hold the thought of him like a candle flame in my hands, without fear that I'm going to get burned. It is just going to warm me up…"

"Would it be different if not for Susanna's accident?" he asked.

"You know it would…" she said slowly. "But it was then and now the situation is what it is and no 'ifs' nor 'maybes' would ever change it. Longing for him won't lead me anywhere, because we don't belong to each other anymore. Last year I realized that our ways really parted forever. Actually, no, I knew that earlier, I was just too stubborn to accept it… I only started to accept it after he told me that he doesn't love me anymore. You were right inviting him. If you didn't, we wouldn't have met and I would probably still be harboring false hopes."

"I saw you two in the garden back then…" he admitted.

"Do you understand then, why this was so difficult for me?" tears started to trickle from her eyes again and rolled down her cheek. "To share so much with you and to lose it because of my stupidity and later, cowardice… And then, to live with the thought that you are, somewhere there, not knowing the whole truth, convinced of me being the most ungrateful creature on Earth, maybe even hating me… to know that I wasn't even able to reach you to explain… It was killing me! And now, to see you, being even more marvelous than before, to know what I have missed…" she slid off the sofa and knelt at his feet. "…I feel like I don't deserve even your friendship! Yet, you still seem to…and that's why I feel even more horrible for crying on your shoulders! It's not fair, not fair..! Why…" her body began to tremble from her emotions and she enshrouded her face in his trousers. "Why is everything so complicated, Albert, why, why, why? I don't deserve you, Albert, do you hear me, I don't deserve you!"

Not able to control himself anymore he too knelt down and took her in his grasp. Her sorrowing was tearing his heart into two. It was also beginning to break away all the walls he had built up to protect himself. And maybe soon they will not be necessary anymore? Maybe...

"Hush, little one, it's okay…" he whispered. "It's fine, I'm here, it's going to be fine…"

For what he knew, it must have been an emotional release for her because she held him tightly, like never before. He also didn't let go of her. He could feel her tears on his neck and her body shaking with her sobs. At this point in time, everything else stopped having any meaning and that included time as well. Later, he couldn't exactly say how long he had nestled her in his arms letting her cry on, but he knew it was a while.

Slowly, very slowly she began to regain her breath. Minutes passed by and even though she had already calmed down, they were still sitting there on the floor, cuddling.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her softly.

"I think so." her voice changed, it was no longer crying.

He let her go gently. "Thank you for being honest, little one."

"But I…"

"Hush..." he silenced her, putting a finger on her lips. "Let me now, okay? It's my turn. I also owe you some honesty."

She grabbed his hand. "You understand me then?"

"I do. It's not that it doesn't hurt, but I understand. I used to be very jealous of Terry." he confessed, gently stroking her fingers with his thumb. "And this wasn't easy, don't forget, if not for the circumstances, he could have become like a brother to me! I used to be able to live in his shadow and I used to think I could cope with that…"

"And… has it changed?"

"I left, didn't I?" he didn't answer her directly. "But it wasn't fair, I have to admit. I had to leave, but I shouldn't have done it the way I did…"

"Why then?" she demanded.

"Maybe subconsciously I wanted to punish you, I don't know. Many people think that I ran away from Chicago but the fact is, I ran away from you. But please don't think I hated you. I could never, ever hate you! It's just… There are things that a man has to do sometimes and that trip was one of them. And that year helped me a lot."

A sudden fear tightened around her heart. _Helped… to forget?_

"Albert, I'm sorry, I know I have no right… but you have not yet said a word about your feelings."

"And I won't."

_So he did forget… That was the risk I had to run, Patty said once…_

"There are no words I could use to properly express that." he continued.

And suddenly she understood. Not just what he was trying to say; there was more than that. _"Every single human soul is shaped by the streams of feelings. Sometimes the most powerful ones happen to be the most hidden." _someone had told her once and she realizedthat's exactly how Albert is; full of warmth and care but also enigmatic and toned, more complicated than she ever presumed. She was always so sure of his caring love, great enough on its own, but if deep inside his soul he was hiding more, so much more… Oh, God, what depths was he carrying?

"I really don't deserve you, Albert…" she whispered with deep sorrow.

He didn't reply. He wasn't able to; he just drew her hand and pressed against his face. They needed no words; a sense of understanding was enough.

Finally he turned his face slightly and kissed the inside of her palm. "If you excuse me, little one, we will finish for tonight. No, no, don't protest, it was not an easy conversation and I can see how exhausted you are… But I think we managed to get through most of the affairs of the heart and which has lead us to here and now. We both need to have some time to think of what to do next."

She nodded.

"Come on, I will take you to your room."

He took her by the arm and led her upstairs, switching off all the light along the way. Bit by bit, the house slowly sank into darkness. "Get a good night's sleep" he told her when they stopped outside her door, "and don't worry too much. I promise we will talk before you leave but tomorrow I want you to have enough strength for a smile! Remember, it suits you better!"

"I think it's not going to be that hard." she was beginning to smile already. "Good night, Prince of the Hill!"

He made a disdainful look on his face. "It is not a prince that I want to be." he turned to walk away. "Princes are boring…"

_Albert, you fascinate me more and more, I cannot help it_..._ How did it happen? _she thought after she closed the door. She went straight to bed, but couldn't sleep just yet. She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The events of the evening kept running through her head, and in turn it had kept her from falling asleep. So here they were. They've talked… But he didn't even try to touch her or kiss her as she had dreamt of… No, no, he was right; there was already enough high emotions this evening…

So why did she feel… disappointed?

O O O

Albert lay motionlessly on his bed. He laid there staring at the ceiling. The events of the evening kept running through his head, and in turn it had kept him also from falling asleep. So here they were. They've talked… _I cannot tell you just yet what I feel, my love…_ he thought, _but you gave me hope… You really gave me hope... It's just for me to decide if the hope is bigger than the shadow..._

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	7. ACCORDING TO THE NATURE

**She loves him, yes… but she doesn't feel worthy of him.**

**He loves her, yes, he never stopped… but would he…**

**Oh, damn it! Just read it and find out…**

**.**

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**CHAPTER SEVEN: ACCORDING TO THE NATURE**

Lakewood, 17th August 1922

The interior of the building was almost silent and if one came to the stable right now, the only noise one would hear would be the sporadic sounds of the swishing of a tail, a pounding of a hoof here and there and the munching of hay. If one approached the last line of the horse boxes, one would notice the sound of brushing and hear some quiet whispers, but at the moment they were audible only to the blond man standing inside.

"I finally know what really happened between them back then…" he whispered into the mare's ear, "…and it hadn't been what I thought…"

The animal seemed to listen; its small head turned towards the man's voice and the big brown eye followed the man's moves. And if anybody except for the horse could see the wistful smile on man's face right now, one would realize that it was expressing the man's inner happiness. And whatever caused this happiness, he was sharing it with the horse he was grooming.

"Do you know what this could mean, Rhailla?" he asked. "It seems like we really might have a chance for a fresh start…" A horse's snort was heard from behind the man's back but he ignored it. "What do you think I should do?" he continued. "Can I really trust her feelings? Can I?"

The snorting behind him repeated again, this time louder and that snapped the man out of his deep thoughts. He turned his head slightly and glanced across the aisle, at the opposite box. Inside stood a black stud and the only parts of his body visible from above the closed gate were his neck and his head.

"Chill out, Godo…" the man said warmly, "I'm almost done then I'll be with you soon"

At the sound of his voice the stud seemed to calm down and Albert smiled to himself. He had already finished with two other horses and they were already on the paddock, no wonder then that the stud, left until last, was getting impatient, wanting to join them. The brushing of the horses was part of the morning ritual and Albert was fulfilling this duty, enjoying its every minute, every second. And so far the horses didn't seem to protest. In fact, they loved this extended moment of pleasure. But today it was taking him exceptionally longer than it had done for the past few days, especially with Rhailla and that was too much for Godo to take.

Albert left his thoughts aside and focused on the mare. His hands ran along her neck and once again a smile appeared on his lips. Rhailla, a two year old mare, was the latest addition to the stable. As a pure-bred Arabian she was a really beautiful horse to behold and he couldn't help but feel a little weakness for her. Everything about her was distinguished, beginning with her small shapely head, the beautifully arched neck, short back, the high tail carriage and ended with long, powerful and muscular but slim legs. Everything about her was just perfect, even her light gray coloring. But her beautiful looks wasn't the only reason for Albert's weakness. What really captured him was her spirit. While most of the Arabians are good-natured, and willing to please, this one was restive and disobedient. Back in Cairo, he had gone to search for a good horse as a gift for Archie and spotted her, standing lonely in the corner of the paddock. _"She is a pureblood but with a bad character. It sometimes happens; we call it 'a breeding error'."_ That was what the breeder had told him. _"Nobody is capable of riding her. Don't think about her, mister, I have better, tamed horses for you. This one is beautiful but it will only give you nothing but trouble." _And Albert needed no better reason to buy _only _her. He had to wait a week for the transatlantic to arrive and spent most of that time with this wild mare, trying to gain her trust. And he had managed enough to make her board the ship. Through the six days of sailing he spent most of his time under the deck, with her, calming her down and talking to her. And that's when they bonded. Now, however she was still distrustful, she was allowing him to ride on her. And he began realizing, why the contact with her felt so wonderful. Like Godo earlier, Rhailla was also reminding him of Ruano… Maybe even more than Godo – she was so hard to tame!

Albert brushed the mare's back one last time and reached out his arms to gently embrace her neck. "You are such a gorgeous creature, Rhailla." he said with fondness.

And then, the stud next door neighed, pounding impatiently against the wooden floor. Albert left Rhailla's box and went directly to the stud. "Godo, you better stop with this behavior right now unless you want me to think that you are jealous!" he said facetiously. "Come here, you black beast, it's your turn…"

He opened the gate and Godo immediately went outside, eager to receive his daily portion of brushing. And he was actually so eager that when he felt the brush on his skin, he began pressing his body firmly against it.

"Easy, Godo, easy…" Albert laughed, forced to back off, "Did you catch fleas last night, or what? Stop pushing me or we will both end up on Rhailla!"

With a light smack he motioned the stud back to his side of the stable. This move revealed the watch on his wrist and he subconsciously glanced at its face; it was coming to a noon. The time reminded him once again of another person, the only one except for him, who was occupying Lakewood at the moment. It was quite late but he intentionally let Candy sleep in; at the end of the day, she really needed to get some rest and that was one of the reasons he made the deal with the hospital director in the first place. And as far as he remembered her sleeping habits went, when she wasn't working, she slept in. He wasn't expecting her to get up for another hour or so later...

"So… that's where you've been hiding…" a delicate voice resounded from behind, slightly muffled by the wooden walls.

_Well, maybe less than hour then... _Albert thought with an inner smile. He stopped brushing Godo and turned towards the voice. "Good morning! How did you find me here?"

"Well…" Candy replied with a teasing tone, wrinkling her nose, "…after I unsuccessfully searched the entire Lakewood and all the adjoining villages, the stable was the only place left..." She waited for his reaction, probably for some sign of amusement but he pretended to take her explanation seriously, nodding slowly and trying not to smile. He knew she wasn't fooled even for a second. "Oh, come on," she moaned, rolling her eyes back playfully "it was a first place I thought of. Where else could you possibly be?"

"Well, you know me… the company of the animals brings me peace."

Candy only smiled lightly. He noticed that she still had those dark circles under her eyes but she looked more relaxed, she looked like someone who had been released from the burden of a huge weight. And as far as he knew, she was; their chat yesterday must have been really releasing. A good night's sleep was also one of the reasons of her good mood because when she came closer, he could clearly see how curious she was about the new horse.

"Her name is Rhailla." he said to her before she asked.

And before he could warn her how unpredictable Rhailla was, Candy turned away from him. "Hi, Rhailla…" she greeted softly, heading towards the mare.

Rhailla, seeing the approaching newcomer, snorted nervously. But there was no need to utter a single word of warning. Apparently, Candy didn't require any. Seeing the mare's uneasiness, she slowed down her walk and softly stopped in front of the mare. Rhailla snorted again and backed off, stomping angrily with her hoof. But Candy stepped closer again, this time without facing the mare entirely, slowly and smoothly reached out her hand and motionlessly held it in the air in a greeting-like gesture. Within an instant he understood that Candy was waiting for _Rhailla_ to decide whether she was worthy of her trust or not. _Good move, _he admitted, impressed. And it was, indeed, a good move; Rhailla stepped closer, carefully stretched her neck and sniffed Candy's palm.

As if giving a reply in this mute dialog, Candy also took another step closer. While one her hand was stroking the mare's muzzle, the other slowly moved higher up and gently embraced her gray neck. _Too fast,_ he thought as Rhailla tensed first and then, suddenly began pushing the girl's upper body. She pushed further and further and, as Candy's weight wasn't for her any competition, she caused the girl to lose her balance. _She is going to trample Candy! _It occurred to him. He was just about to run to stop the mare, but once again, there was no need for that. He misinterpreted the situation. Instead of being scared, Candy giggled quietly and to stop herself from falling on the floor, she embraced tighter mare's neck and hung on it with all her weight. And Rhailla stopped. She didn't rear as he expected. For some reason she stood immobile and only snorted again but this time it sounded more friendly than before. It was unbelievable for him but it looked like she accepted Candy presence. It must have been a sign also for Candy because she slowly stood back on the wooden floor, lowered both her hands and began scratching mare's mandible. And to his surprise Rhailla was instantly bribed. It wasn't even few seconds before he watched, utterly mesmerized, how this usually distrustful mare nearly forces her mouth under Candy's arm, demanding more caresses.

Albert stood, spellbound but for some reason he wasn't able to say the words of appreciation. "I don't hear any loud rumble this time…" he heard himself saying, "…so I presume that you must have found your breakfast in the kitchen?" _Oh, brilliant, you idiot, just brilliant! You have just witnessed an amazing, worth praising example of contact between animal and a human being and all you can talk about is such as prosaic thing such as food?_

But Candy didn't seem to be bothered with such details, so completely focused on playing with the mare she was. "You mean lunch?" he heard her cheerful voice, "It's unbelievably late! Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"It's your vacation," he replied calmly, lifting his hand and resuming brushing Godo. "Are you in a hurry to go somewhere?"

Candy turned without breaking the caress and for a moment, her gaze traced the hand he was holding the brush in. Its moves were firm but at the same time soft and smooth and it didn't escape her attention how the stallion's skin was wrinkling in the shiver of undeniable pleasure. And then, she looked at Albert's calm face. _He was so joyful before he realized I was here… _she thought. _I stood there, afraid that Godo's neighing might have betrayed my presence and I heard him, joking with the horses… What wouldn't I give to make him feel as comfortable in my presence as he is with the animals..!_

"No, I'm not in a hurry." she replied. Could she tell him that she just missed him?"It's just… I missed… I'm missing... a beautiful day."

Albert glanced at her from behind his shoulder, meeting the girl's emerald gaze. "It's not that bad, it's only noon." he spoke in a light tone. "Relax, Candy, you can do here whatever your soul desires. Make this day full of joy."

"If that's the case," she said quickly, "there is indeed something I really would love to do. Can we go to Pony's Home?"

He knew that before she even said it. Pony's Home; her first home, the beloved refuge she would always run to, to regain her inner peace. And the place of important decisions… He had only one answer.

"Of course we can, my dear."

And what he has just said must have pleased her already because her smile was becoming wider and wider. "Can I ride on Rhailla?" she asked.

"I'm afraid you can't," he shook his head, "she still requires training. I am not going to let you ride on a half-wild horse. You wouldn't be able to control her… if… she…" he stammered. As he was speaking Candy turned back towards the mare, grabbed her mane and as if it was the easiest thing in the world, she pulled the mare's head down, to herself. For a moment he watched them both as they stood motionlessly, the girl and the mare, looking in each other's eyes and he gave up protesting. What took him nearly a month since he bought her, Candy managed in few minutes. And when Candy finally motioned Rhailla back to her box and the mare obeyed willingly, he had no more doubts. Not only was Rhailla appeased instantly; she was appeased completely.

"I only need to get those two beasts ready." he said with a 'why-do-I-even-bother' voice.

"I only need to get changed!" Candy screamed joyfully and then, the next second, she was gone.

_No wonder those two got on together so quickly… _he thought, amused. _They're both wild…_

When they mounted the horses a little later, Godo, vigorous as always, waited patiently, as it was expected from a four year old, properly behaving stud. To the contrary, the young mare nearly danced under her rider. The rider, however, didn't seem to mind at all and only pulled the reins slightly now and then to keep control of the animal. Both of them, the girl and the mare, seemed to be vibrating, united by the same steam of impatience.

"I see you have the wind under your wings!" he teased, "I just don't know who has more energy, you or Rhailla."

Candy giggled quietly. "Oh, my body is here but my spirit is already there."

Sure that she was going to dash the mare straight away into a full gallop, he raised himself slightly to a start position. "Ready?" he asked.

"I am" Candy replied, nodding, "and my resolute princess thinks she is too but I'd still say that both horses need to warm up. I don't want to force them to gallop without doing so first."

His eyes opened wide in wonderment and then he relaxed in his saddle. _What happened to you, Candy? _He thought. She always loved animals, but… First, what she did in the stable and now… He sensed in her a consideration and ability to understand the real needs of the voiceless creature. _You were made to take care of others and I've always known that but… You really grew! How could I miss it? Did working with the patients open your eyes on the invisible? What happened to you, Candy, when I was gone?_

"...but only to the crossroads, right, my girl?" Candy stroked Rhailla's neck and the mare snorted impatiently, as if offering confirmation. "Your master has been bad to you, just letting you get dusty in the stables…" she added playfully.

It was such a wonderful view for him to see her, smiling this way!

They made both horses walk to warm up and when they got to the end of the driveway, they allowed them to canter. He kept watching the mare, still a little worried that she might get spooked and shake Candy off. But the mare however prancing a little, didn't exhibit any signs of her usual aggression. He didn't have to worry.

The ride, however, was not meant to be predictable. Candy kept her word; when they got to the crossroads, without any warning she nudged Rhailla's sides with her heels. And, as if waiting only for this 'permission', the mare sharply rocketed forward and carried her rider in a breathtakingly fast, yet, smooth gallop.

He was taken by the surprise but a second later he joined the gallop. _Candy, you're adult, yet, you are still a little, wild thing!_ He smiled to himself as he tried his best to catch up with them. _I had persuaded myself I have to help you to become a lady. And I managed that, but please, never let me change you completely. The Miss Tomboy is also the part of Candy I love so much…_

O O O_  
_

"Miss Pony! Miss Pony! Sister Maria!" A group of children ran toward the house screaming at the top of their lungs "Candy's coming!"

Both women hurried outside. "What are you saying?" sister Maria asked, "Candy? How could she be here?"

"Sur--pri--se!" A familiar, cheerful voice could be heard, increasing in volume as if its owner was still on the move. Two horses in full gallop appeared on the path between the hills and within the next few seconds stopped abruptly at the little, wooden gate. Two riders laughed breathlessly as they dismounted, still flushed from the fast and exhilarating ride.

"Candy! Sir Andrew!" Miss Pony greeted, all smiling, "It's so good to see you again!"

"Dear… Miss… Pony…" Albert protested, gasping, "Please… do me a favor… and stop with this 'Sir Andrew', alright? I'm here only as Albert and I like it that way."

"But…"

Albert inhaled deeply and finally managed to control his breath. "Every place I go I have to think of my reputation and have this horrible social status thrust upon me which I never asked for." he insisted. "At least here I want to believe that I'm still myself!"

After the warm greeting, Albert and Candy both took a few minutes out to take care of their horses and even though it was obvious that the animals were definitely thirsty, they didn't let them drink first. No matter how cruel it would look like to a layman, they knew that there was nothing worse for a heated horse than cold water. They unsaddled Godo and Rhailla and let them cool down slowly, while they dried the horses' sweaty skin with some old towels, brought over by children. This simple act must have brought the expected results, because after listening briefly to the animals' heart beat, Albert nodded, content and pleased, he led both the horses to the little, fenced meadow. Inside, he took the reins off both horses and left the makeshift paddock, closing the gate behind him. The horses, once released, immediately trotted towards the trough which was filled to the brim with fresh cool water. Now they were allowed to drink.

After washing their hands, Candy and Albert didn't have time for anything else. Before they could even blink, they were suddenly surrounded by a pack of Neanderthals from the ages of three to ten. It was the impatient kids. They then found themselves being dragged towards the main building. The kids were so impatient and so excited, that they couldn't wait any longer and just had to show their guests the construction site. The repairing and upgrading of the building began in spring this year, and the new shape of the orphanage, previously only seen on planning papers, was now becoming a reality.

Later, the day filled up with yells of laughter and shouts from the hills and footsteps of small and big were heard running… The kids dragged them to the most unexpected places to show them their beloved hidden treasures. There, they would tell them all about their new ideas and confess as only little children can, their secrets. Despite their protests, they weren't spared from anything, right down to the minutest of details.

Both the teachers couldn't bear to break the children's hearts and force them to go to the class on a day like this; so instead, Albert gathered them all around his bench and began telling stories about the wild animals in Africa. He regaled in his stories, especially the one about how he befriended a group of gorillas, the children sat there in awe, motionless, listening to every word that was spoken. The children just loved how he imitated the gorilla's sounds and movements. This was easy for Albert as he had remembered how to do this when he had to imitate being a gorilla for months on end just so he could gain their trust. When Albert got to the part of his story where the silverback charged at him, the children's eyes and mouths opened even wider in astonishment, if such a thing was possible. Tiny hands held up high in hopes of asking a question. Albert did his best to answer each and every one lest anyone felt they were left out.

Candy in the meantime, was helping the two women to prepare the table for dinner. She had a wide smile on her face every time she heard the children's joyful screams. Those happy screams told her more than enough about what the children thought of their new type of 'lesson'… And when the dinner was finally served, it became clear that the fresh air and a physical effort were always the best combination to stimulate a hunger, even in the most fastidious. Add an interesting story to the recipe and a simple dinner, served in the late afternoon sun, had tasted better than any other gastronomic delicacies to be found anywhere else in the world.

In the evening all the youngest children were tired... So tired were they that they went to sleep without even a single word of protestation passing from their lips. It had been an eventful day and even the oldest went to sleep earlier without any fuss. After putting them all to bed, Albert sat and had a long chat with both Sister Maria and Miss Pony about the changes. They were so busy discussing his suggestions for better ways of improvement that it was only a while later that they realized Candy was not in the room with them.

Albert stood up. "We should be going soon." He said, "The sun is setting."

"Such a pity…" Miss Pony said. "It's so rare to have you both here. I wish you could stay longer…"

"I too wish we could stay longer, Miss Pony," he replied, "but I don't want Candy to ride in the dark. She is a pretty good Amazon but I'm the one who has the boring duty to bear in mind that Rhailla is a half–wild and unpredictable horse."

"Yes, that's more than reasonable." Sister Maria nodded. "Go and find her, Albert."

Albert went outside. Just like she knew earlier exactly where to look for him when he hid in the stable, now he had no doubts whatsoever of where she might be; there was only one possible place. And indeed, upon getting there, he spotted a part of her red riding suit, high up, almost hidden within the leaves at the very top of her Father Tree.

"Candy, you little, wild thing, get down here at once!" he yelled with laughter.

"Better if you join me!" he heard her giggling.

He couldn't believe how high she had gotten. He jumped to grab the lowest branch, balanced his body for a moment and with two firm moves pulled himself higher up. Now that he was up on the first branch, the climb further up was made easier as there were more branches above him. It was just a case of jumping from one branch to the next. When he had managed to get half way, he stopped. He didn't dare go as high as Candy did. It wasn't because he was afraid, it was because he knew one simple fact; he was simply heavier than her and he was aware that the branches further up were thinner could break under his weight at any minute.

"Hi, Prince!" she yelled cheekily from above.

"Have some mercy and at least come down here, to me!" he moaned and laughed, "I am going to break my neck just by trying to look up at you!"

She replied with another giggle and a few moments later appeared on the other side of the trunk. "I just wanted to see the sunset. Nothing can compare to that. Look!" she pointed towards the hills, above the horizon and onto an intensively glowing setting August sun. The view was indeed incredible. The sky looked as if it was on fire, painting the thin clouds in gradually darker shades of white golds, golds, oranges and reds. They just sat there silently, mesmerized by this natural piece of art. And only when the sun had disappeared completely, Albert spoke again.

"I understand why you love this place so much. It's really beautiful here."

"Isn't it?" she smiled. "But let's get down, it's getting dark and I don't want you to fall..."

"You doubt _me_? Alright then, it's a challenge! Let's see who is going to be the fastest down!" he grinned and started to descend. He heard Candy shout "That's not fair!" as she too started to descend expeditiously and a moment later he realized that he never stood a chance to win. And indeed, by the time he got to the lowest branch, Candy was already sitting on the ground. "I give up!" he laughed, jumping off. "This tree was cheating! I had more branches in the way and besides, I think you must have had some help!"

She laughed again and then they heard a shrieking.

"Clynn!" she called as the raccoon jumped on her. "My four kilos of craziness! I thought you were never going to show up!"

"Don't you miss him?" he asked her when they were playing with the pet.

"Oh, I miss him a lot!" she said. "But I cannot sentence him to live in the cage in the city. Besides, my apartment is too small and anyway, I'm barely at home…"

"You know he can always stay with me in the mansion… There is enough space there."

Candy firmly shook her head. "I know, but it would still be in the city! I know he could manage, he is smart enough… But no matter how much I miss him, I know he belongs here. And he is happy, aren't you, Clynn?" she asked, bowing her head above the pet. The raccoon pressed his nose under her hand. "He has got wide open space here, the mountain, the forest and freedom. He lives here according to his nature. I thought you would be the one who would understand that…"

"I do, Candy, I really do." He protested lively. What she just said only confirmed his earlier conclusion about her approach towards wild animals. She really grown. "Yes, he belongs here. You're right. Sometimes, when you love somebody very much, you have to know how to let them go, it's for their best." he added, getting serious.

Candy looked carefully at Albert and something in his facial expressions told her that he wasn't talking only about the raccoon. "And that's exactly what you did, isn't it?" she asked gently and he nodded. "I think I needed that." she admitted. "I had to stand on my own to truly face myself. I had to lose you to find out what I really have and what it really means to me. Once again you happened to be wiser than me…" she said and then she smiled thoughtfully. She delicately touched her lips with her fingertips and carried a kiss onto his lips.

O O O

"I hope Candy will finally open her eyes." Sister Maria said as she poured herself another cup of tea.

"Oh, I am sure of that, Maria. Didn't you see them, there, under the tree?" Miss Pony smiled knowingly. "When they were saying goodbye, there was something between them. I think she can finally see what she has, or to be more specific, what she could have, if she only wants to reach for it."

"It's about time! I started to worry I will not live long enough to see her wedding."

Miss Pony sipped the rest of her tea. "Don't worry, Maria. We will both live long enough for that, I guarantee you!"

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	8. TWO MINUTES MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

**Co-writer: Logan W.**

**.**

**.**

**CHAPTER EIGHT: TWO MINUTES MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE**

Lakewood, 18th August 1922

The stubborn sunbeam tickled into her eyes and tightening her eyelids wasn't helping anymore. Candy covered her head with the pillow but soon ran out of air. She flung the pillow across the room and finally opened her eyes_. I overslept again!_ she yawned, looking at the clock. _Albert is going to laugh…_

When she stood on the top of the stairs, she noticed a complete silence in the house. _Nobody here?_ She thought, touching the polished marble balustrade. _Aha! Time for a bit of fun! _

Without thinking, she raised one leg and hoisted herself onto the railing. "Yippee!" she yelled with joy as she slid down. "Once is not enough!" she laughed and ran back up. She felt like a little girl again, sliding down and running back up, on and on, again and again… Oh, if she could only...

"Ahem…" she heard a voice from behind her. This distracted her and she lost her balance. Instead of landing like a cat, she fell on the floor with a loud thud.

"Oh Albert!" she flushed timidly. "You… saw me?"

"Good morning, you wild thing…" Albert didn't even try to hide his gaiety. "I came in to check where all those hellish noises were coming from. They could be heard even from the stable."

"I thought I was alone! Why didn't you speak up sooner?"

"And miss such a great show?" Albert's half grin became wider. "Never!"

Candy got up trying to ignore the embarrassing pain and proudly lifted her chin up. "It's not nice to snoop on a lady!"

"Yes, wild lady." he laughed openly. "Come on, I will make you something to eat."

"I will manage on my own, thank you very much!" she replied and partly angry, partly ashamed she went to the kitchen.

"No problem at all." he said as he followed her. "You seem to have so much fire in you today that I might even let you serve me breakfast too."

She couldn't help but glance at him. Albert kept his word; once in the kitchen, he sat down on one of the chairs in a blasé fashion and watched her carefully, with one eyebrow raised teasingly and lips widened in a grin. She couldn't say if the smile on his face was only just a smile of amusement or something else entirely different. But whatever it was, something about his smile made her blush again and this time it wasn't from embarrassment…

"Milk and no sugar." she heard a little while later when she was warming up the pans.

Candy pivoted round and looked Albert right in the eyes.

"Pardon?"

"I will have a coffee with milk and no sugar. And two toasts with butter, please. And a fried egg. And three slices of bacon, thank you very much!"

So he was serious about serving him?

"Are… you… having… fun?" she uttered, bemused.

"Oh, yes. Very much indeed!"

"Very well then, _sir_!" she said sarcastically. She turned and faced the cooker and started furiously moving the pots and pans about, murmuring angrily to herself. What was it with him anyway, she fumed. He was usually so wistful, so full of wisdom, how could he be so openly playful one second, then the next, blasé like nothing happened. The worst part, she thought to herself, was that he was alluring and gentle and then a split second later the teasing would start again... Oh, what she would give to suddenly wipe that annoying half smile from his face! Still seething and without realizing it, Candy grabbed some eggs and furiously cracked each one open then plopped their contents into a hot frying pan. The eggs landed with a satisfying sizzling sound. _What would shock him?_ She thought as she threw bacon bits into an adjacent hot pan. The bacon, upon contact with the hot oil sizzled away even more satisfyingly than the eggs, not that she noticed. The aroma of breakfast being cooked started to slowly fill the kitchen. Candy didn't notice that either. She was thinking. In her mind, an idea started to worm its way into her brain. Oh, there was one way she knew that would do the trick. She then suddenly realized what she was thinking. She blushed violently again at the vision of herself unexpectedly pouncing onto his lap and locking her lips tightly with his. Kiss him. Keep kissing him. That would be her plan. _Would he be still smiling so mockingly if I did just that? I don't… think… so!_ She thought as she flipped the eggs over with the wooden spatula and then did the same with the bacon without realizing it. She barely paid any attention to how she was cooking, that's how focused she was in her vision to shock Albert in the only way possible. And it was right up to that point when she realized that, her flush became much more intense than it would have been if it was caused by standing next to the hot cooker. _Stop it, Candy, stop right now or he would notice something, _she snapped herself immediately from her deep thoughts. She was now fuming even more at her own weakness. _Just calm down. He's been watching you all this time, but out of two choices, it's better if he thinks that you are still angry for being caught on the stairs…_

After a few more minutes she came back to him with plates and cups. She then proceeded to serve the meal in silence, all the while she avoided looking at him. She took her seat. "Bon appetite, enjoy your meal, Sir Andrew!" she said shortly, biting down on a piece of buttered toast.

"Thank you." He nodded and started eating. He chewed for a moment and then he gave her a smug look. "Well, I think I will have to make you angry more often. For the first time, you manage not to burn the bacon! It's delicious!" he said with a roguish wink.

Candy quickly turned her head away and blond locks fled across her face but she didn't manage to hide it in time that her lips broke into a smile. "You are impossible!" she moaned, laughing helplessly, "I cannot even be angry with you! I'm sorry... I don't know what's gotten into me. I think…" she hesitated. No, it was better for now if he thought that she was simply embarrassed by the scene on the stairs. "I'm just feeling silly that I let you catch me red-handed." she prevaricated.

"You are feeling _silly_ for _being caught_? Shouldn't you feel rather _ashamed_, milady, for _doing_ this awful thing?" he teased her again and his face brightened into a full open smile. "Don't be sorry, that was really funny. It reminded me of the time when I was a kid and I used to play on that railing myself."

"Really?" she asked lively. _Phew, it seems like he bought the story, _she thought, relieved.

"Really. Aunt Elroy had often said she would become grey-haired earlier than she should because of me. She used to call me the shame of the family."

Candy snorted. "Knowing her conservatism, I believe that!"

And at that precise moment, some noises could be heard coming from the front yard. Albert stood up quickly. "Excuse me for a moment," he said, walking towards the door, "I think that's Benton's horses, I've been waiting for him the whole morning. No, no, you wild thing, be civilized for once and nicely finish your meal, I can get the milk."

Candy pretended to ignore the "wild thing' comment that she has been hearing from him since yesterday and sat back down on her chair. The kitchen door closed behind him and a second later she heard it opening again. She glanced in the direction of the door, still munching on her toast. She spotted a wisp of white-blond hair, half of a rakish grin and one blue eye, peeking playfully from within the narrow gap.

"Can--dy…" Albert's voice resounded, "I was serious about that bacon!"

The eye winked and the door shut before she could say a word. Not that she was able to.

O O O

Albert walked slowly alongside the water. The waves gently rushed towards the shore and lapped at his feet. He didn't notice. A giant tidal wave could have come by and submerged him and he wouldn't have noticed; his mind was miles away. These past two days seemed like a dream to him. She came. And whatever it was that was complicated between them, seemed to have really lightened after they had talked. And it lightened even more yesterday, when they went to Pony's Home. Lakewood and Pony's Home… everything was always easier in those two blessed places... Things began to look promising. She felt comfortable around him again. They could laugh like before. They could talk like before. They were honest to each other again. And above all, there was a new hope... yes, there was definitely something new, something fresh between them. Oh, after years of repressing his feelings it felt as if he was soaring, as if he had been given a pair of wings all of a sudden!

Albert smiled to himself as he began to manoeuvre his way up and around the various large rocks and boulders that lay in his way, at the bottom of the cliff. He missed her. He had left her after their late breakfast, wanting to give her some time alone, but he missed her already. Even if he wanted, he couldn't lie to himself any longer; she really was the life of his blood and getting rid off the love he had for her was next to impossible, no matter how hard he had tried in the past. Even the year spent apart couldn't, hadn't changed his feelings. He as a person had changed but certainly not his feelings. _It would be easier for me to stop breathing than to stop loving her,_ he thought as he climbed over an inanely large boulder, but unlike in the Congo, this time, this thought wasn't accompanied by any anguished feelings. Instead, the hope in him began to swell; an elation now embraced him. He knew they would talk as he had promised her and he had already decided that he would ask Candy that evening to give them a chance. No more being a coward! He would do his part, but in the end, it would be up to her. And when she agrees, _if she agrees_... Wait, _when _she agrees, _no,_ a tiny voice in his head whispered deviously again, _i f she agrees_... oh, whatever, he snorted, irritated with the ridiculous duality of his mind. Even _if _she agrees he knew he would have to take it slow and easy...

_I will be patient with her, _he swore to himself unrelentingly. _I will be doubly patient as I used to, if need be! She will be mine!_

He clambered over the rock and then suddenly stopped. Slowly, as if he was waking up from a dream and indeed, he _was _waking up from a daydream, he turned around, glancing at the way he had just came from. The rocks lay before him, scattered in irregular lines and if each one of them were sentient, they would all be pointing at him and laughing about now, he could swear on it. There was a cliff ten feet to his left but twenty feet to his right the line of rocks ended abruptly, leaving another twenty foot wide gap between the last of the rocks and the shore. There was enough space for a horse to gallop though, he could have easily walked along the shore, but no, he had to choose the _easier _option and climb, carried by the wings of hope...

_Albert, you have gone blind or even worse... _He pitied himself sarcastically, shaking his head. _This feeling messes up your senses! You know this entire area like the back of your hand and you could have walked it even with your eyes closed! How on Earth did you end up on these rocks, man?_

Still shaking his head, Albert took a long deep breath to calm this winged heart of his. He then turned and jumped off the last rock. When he came out onto the open space on the peninsula, the view of the lake greeted his eyes. This magnificent landscape had always brought him peace and tranquillity but on this particular occasion, there was something slightly different. He couldn't quite place it at first as the reflection of the sun shimmered off the water surface which blinded his eyes temporarily. Albert squinted and took another look. Then he saw it. What he saw rooted him to the spot.

O O O

_Fifty eight minutes earlier…_

"Oh dear, I can't believe how much dust is in here!" Candy said to herself as she ferreted about in the attic. "Nobody ever comes here! And there are so many empty rooms! A house without people in it is just a building, nothing more…"

Then she remembered how she was locked up in here by Neil and Eliza on her first visit. She remembered how petrified she was, all alone in the darkness. Her pulse quickened… and as suddenly as it had come on, she shook the unpleasant memory off as quickly as a duck shook water off from its back. It's long gone and those two cannot reach her anymore. And it wasn't because of the distance between their cities. It was that she was way passed being scared of them.

After another half an hour or so of methodical ferreting around and digging through old hidden family treasures, she felt quite thirsty. It was high time to go to the kitchen and grab something to drink. _An entire bucket of cold water would do,_ she smiled to herself playfully, remembering her mood at breakfast. She then proceeded to leave the dim attic and upon entering the corridor where there was finally enough daylight, she looked at the state of her clothing. Not only was her dark jeans and short sleeveless shirt covered with a fine gray dust but it covered her entire skin as well. In essence, she was covered from head to toe in this fine powdery dust as if somebody dipped her into a huge barrel of flour. _I'm so dirty!_ she moaned. _I really need a bath… But waiting for the water in the bathroom to warm up… Nah, silly, you have got an entire lake! And the weather is good…_

On her way to the kitchen she stopped off in her room to take one of her dresses. She did not have her swimming suit, her fault, but at the end of the day, that wasn't going to be a problem, her underwear instead should do just fine. There was nobody here anyway…

There was no sound of Albert's presence either, so she left him a note in his study: **_"I went for a walk, should be back by dinner. C." _**She ran towards the family's own little lake.

The day was exceptional hot and she felt the warm sunshine almost literally entering her soul. She stood on the shores of the lake and looked out towards the horizon. Magnificent oaks lined the other side of the lake. It was a wall of trees. Behind the trees lay hills that looked like gentle ripples in a wake that had been frozen in time. She smiled as she looked at the hickory forest that covered most of the hills, from this distance the canopy reminded her of broccoli. To the right of her, she could see yet more trees and a stony bridge. On the left lay an absurd amount of impossibly large rocks that lead up to a small sized cliff. The shiny blue surface of the very still lake reflected everything around it like a giant mirror. Butterflies of various colours would swoop down and hover just above the water and then would fly up and away. The lake looked very enticing. Candy placed her clothes down and walked towards the water. When she got there, she stood on one leg and gingerly dipped her toes in. The ripple that this motion had caused got bigger as it travelled slowly outwards in a big circle around her foot. The water was warm and it was absolutely wonderful! Without wanting to waste any more time, she took a deep breath then jumped in. The water engulfed her like a cool blanket, the lake was a good respite from the heat. When she finally broke through the water surface, she felt invigorated. Candy dunked herself under the water again. She did this quite a few times until she felt confident and she even managed to dive a few times. When she finally got tired, she stood on the sandy bottom facing the other side of the lake and began energetically washing her body.

_I wonder where you are, Albert, I have not seen you since breakfast… _She thought._ And I have no courage to tell you this but I don't want to waste even a second from the time that I have been given here. Albert, my dear, I so long for your presence… I have no idea how this happened but I cannot stop myself from imagining how it would feel to be in your arms…and how would it be to feel your hands on my skin..._

O O O

He had gone out for an airing leaving Candy behind to explore the rest of the villa. He knew how curious and inquisitive she was._ She'll be there for hours_ he had thought. But no, here she was! He was surprised to see her in the lake, frolicking playfully in the water. _Miss Tomboy couldn't resist having fun again_… A wide smile expanded across his face as he continued watching her. For a moment he had feared she'd gone too far and into deep water, but soon realized there was no just cause for worry; she was a pretty good swimmer. _How funny, _he thought, _throughout all these years that I've known her, I've always thought she couldn't swim... Hmm… Good to know, though..._

When she finally headed for the beach, Albert wanted to turn away but couldn't find within him the strength to do so; he was transfixed. He watched as she stood with her shoulders and chest just above the water and began bathing herself. _I know you were too impatient to warm up the water in the bathroom, you little rascal… _he smiled to himself,_ and you're right. The weather is too good to waste…_

Where his smile was had now faded, in its place was a wide open mouth as he suddenly noticed the change in her behavior. Her vigorous movements became slower, smoother. Her hands weren't washing anymore; they were now caressing her arms, her shoulders, her neck… it seemed as if it could have been somebody else's caress... She looked like she was a million miles away. Even from here he could see that she had closed her eyes and was smiling ever so slightly, so dreamily. He could barely breathe. As if he was cast out of solid bronze, he stood motionless as he continued to watch her as she touched her soft lips with the ends of her fingertips and then she gracefully and softly raised her hand to reach for something invisible in front of her. Without warning, she pivoted around and slowly walked towards the beach, bowing her head and brushing gently on the shiny water surface with her fingertips. When she did finally emerge, he noticed that she was actually wearing a short, thin underskirt; the wet fabric was now revealing every sensual curve of her body. Albert swallowed, feeling the rush of blood in his veins; the less knightly part of him was taking over and it was reminding him that despite his noble intentions he was indeed very much a man. Oh God, she was so beautiful! He wanted to touch her so badly now!

_Damn it!_ He cursed. Nearly three days of controlling himself, restraining himself from anything that was more than a supportive hug and now this!

He retreated behind the trees. It wasn't because he was afraid that she might notice his presence; he was afraid of something else. He just couldn't watch her anymore; the urge to go to her grew stronger with each passing second. It would have overwhelmed him if he had stayed. And he knew, he was certain that if he went to her now, he wouldn't let her go, even if she resisted…

The thing was; he wasn't so sure if she really resisted at all… That gesture of hers… it felt like déjà vu from the day before, on Pony's Hill…

And… he was supposed to control himself!

O O O

Candy sat on the trunk of the tree. Half of it was still on the ground, while the other half lay in the water. She remembered that it was here before, when she arrived in Lakewood for the first time, nine years ago. Stear, Archie and Anthony told her that it had fallen into the water shortly before they met her. And, what she now found most fascinating was that the tree was still alive; on its far end the branches were still growing in a thin, vertical line. She realized why; some of the roots were broken off, but some of them, near the ground, were still attached. Still held. Still poured life into the broken tree.

_It's like us... _she analogized, _the damage of what was done between us seemed to be irreversible, yet, there was something to hold onto... As long as we are alive, as long as this root deep in our hearts still holds, there's hope... And I want to have hope. I need you, Albert, I want you to be near me... Where are you? I can feel your presence as if you were near but you are not... I need you... And I want you to need me…_

She had been daydreaming while she waited for her clothes to dry and it was only when she was leaving the beach that she noticed the weather had changed. It was hot early in the morning, but now the air was heavy and oppressively close. Dark steely gray clouds had appeared on the horizon and she quickly recognized them as cumulonimbus. _We are going to have a thunderstorm!_ She realized. _I better hurry... _

When she got home, the first place she went to was the study. Her note was still on the desk, untouched. Albert never found it. _He must be out too, _she concluded.

She ran straight to the parlour to light a fire; it was hot now, but as far as she remembered the local weather, the temperature usually dropped rapidly after thunderstorms. By the time she had finished, the ominous dark clouds had already covered the entire sky, and whatever sunlight that was left, had soon vanished as the fast approaching brobdingnagian storm clouds bathed the entire area as far as the eye could see in twilight. As the first rain drops began tapping its way down the window. She took her shoes off, then with bare feet, walked towards the window. She stood there, watching the rain drops splash onto it and for a split second she recalled a similar evening from the past, an evening spent next to a fire place… it was a summer back then too, the rain, the storm… She was wearing a red silk gown and Terry… Terry... _No!_ She pushed the memory away. Scotland was far away and long, long gone and to her surprise, she found that accepting this simple fact had made her feel somehow liberated.

She raised her hand and her fingers began to slowly follow the traces of the water droplets on the glass as they raced each other ever downwards. _They look like rivers... unstoppable rivers of life..._ she thought. _Life never stops. I can either follow its path or stop and always be left behind. I don't want to be left behind. It's time to move on..._

She barely noticed the sound of an opening front door. The storm came in really violent, it darkened the world and when the first lightning bolt tore through the sky, she felt a tiny draft coming from the door behind her.

"Hi, Albert." she said without turning. "How was your walk? I hope you didn't get wet? I came back at literally the last minute."

She felt his presence just behind her but yet there was no answer.

"Anyway, if you got wet, the fire is already lit. Your clothes should dry…"

Before she could finish, she suddenly felt his hands on her bare arms. She trembled. She had forgotten the rest of her sentence. His palms ran slowly down her skin towards her elbows, along to her wrists… and again, up her arm, until they finally rested on her shoulders…

"Albert!" she gasped, with her heart betraying her. It was now pounding furiously. "What are you..?"

Instead of answering her, he cupped her chin and firmly turned her face to his. And then, she _saw it_… For one second he was letting her see his true self and she could see it, she could see the dark flames in his eyes. And it felt so intense, she almost forgot to breath. She blinked nervously but the flame didn't disappear. _Albert… I've been dreaming… Oh, God… _she gasped again, realizing what was about to come. …_he is… gonna… _

The next second he took her lips with his own and kissed her with such a wild passion that she stopped thinking. But she felt everything.

She has indeed dreamed of him, kissing her, she had been dreaming of herself, kissing him… but _this_ kiss poured into her something she had never thought was even possible. It was almost violent. It burned. She tried to back off, suddenly scared of this new experience flooding her entire body but Albert didn't let her. Without letting go of her lips he turned her to him and imprisoned her in a tight grasp. Another rapid wave of an almost unbearable heat flooded her, this time bereaving her completely of control over her body and all she registered now was this shelter in his arms and his lips, so invading, more and more demanding… He kissed her once before, back then, on her birthday, she could still vaguely remember her own reaction, but this…

Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but her. She was so soft, so sweet, so unbelievably sweet… Earlier he had ran into the forest to regain control over himself, any control, and he thought he had… but the very second he walked into this room and saw her by the window, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. He just _had_ to touch her, just once in his life, lose himself in her lips even if that meant it would be the last time he ever saw her…

As if he was pushed along by some unseen force, with wanton abandonment he had walked up to her and began touching her arms in exactly the same way she had done earlier on, there, in the water… The shiver that ran along her body sent a wave of sparkles up his own arms. When he kissed her, she tensed and raised her hands, as if to push him away but he just held her tighter, mercilessly suppressing her feeble resistance and then, the next moment, her body just gave up and melted into his… He couldn't believe it at first but she was accepting his passion, so open, so submissive...no, no, wrong, she wasn't submissive at all! She began to follow his lead, chase him faster and faster; he felt her hands on his chest, then, on his neck, then, fingers running madly through his wet hair… and her lips, oh, those soft lips of hers, now so eager, so fervid, ever hungry for more and more… A little moan escaped from her throat and melted somewhere between them. His blood was already rushing fast through his veins like liquid mercury and with the added surprise that she responded to his desire made it even worse. His hands began to run involuntary and uncontrollably all over her body, first on her hips, then on her back, on her waist… then... on... her... breast… on her breast…?

_Oh God, what am I doing? _He thought when realization dawned on him on what he had just done.

With a huge amount of effort he broke off the kiss and the trap of her arms and pushed himself away from her. He could see the shock on her face and how heavily she was breathing; he was experiencing the same thing. They stood there momentarily looking at each other and then without a single word, she turned and walked towards the patio door and pressed her forehead against the glass.

This act of wild passion, this act of wanting, it made him felt like he had taken advantage of their newly rebuilt trust. Had he made a mistake? The old fear he had been harbouring for so long started to seep in. The fear of losing her. The fear of losing her forever this time. _I knew it, Candy; I knew you were not going to forgive me for this… _I'm so sorry, Candy…" he began quietly, closing his eyes. "It was unforgivable and…"

"Don't." she interrupted in a quiet, trembling voice and he could tell from the sound that she was crying. "Don't you dare apologise! Not for _that_! Have you got any idea what are you doing to me? Is it some game of yours, some sort of punishment? Making me want you and then pushing me away?" she shouted. Suddenly and without warning, the sound of the splashing rain increased dramatically and with it came a cold draft. This raised bad feelings in him. He opened his eyes and turned around to confirm his suspicion; the door on the patio stood wide opened, as if yanked by a furious hand. Candy had vanished.

And he understood his mistake. "Candy, wait!" he yelled and a second later ran after her. Somehow she was already gone and somewhere in the back of his mind he felt ridiculously impressed by her speed. The cold heavy rain didn't bother him at all, he was soaked before anyway but he was more worried about her. Although he could barely see through the thick curtain of rain, he knew there was only one way she could have ran; down the stairs and through the garden towards Stear's water gate. And he wasn't wrong; that was exactly where he caught a fleeting glimpse of her white, summer dress before it was swallowed up by the darkness.

Candy ran in between the various bushes, instinctively knowing when to turn. Blinded by her tears and the heavy rain, she didn't know where she was running to, nor did she care, she just followed the urge to run and run, and run… She felt the shock of the cold rain against her burning skin as she was soaked completely within seconds but at least it was cooling her violently raging senses. _So he only wanted to play with me, just to prove that I will react to his touch? Oh God, what a mess! I can't face him like that! Run, Candy, run! _

"Candy, wait! Come back!" she heard his voice from behind. _Too close._ _Run, Candy, run!_

She tried to speed up but almost fell when she slipped on the wet muddy ground. That must have given him a few seconds to catch up with her because his voice sounded closer. "You can't stay in the rain like this!"

"Leave me alone!" she cried and slipped again.

"Candy, stop!" he grabbed her by the arm and made her stop. "You will catch a cold!"

"Leave me alone!" she yelled louder.

She jerked back, trying to free her arm and she managed just that. But she wasn't given the liberty of running away from him again. She wasn't given the liberty of even turning and taking one step. Unexpectedly, Albert cursed, grabbed her by the waist and without any ado, he forcefully lifted her of the ground. Within an instant, she found herself on his shoulder with her legs and one arm locked in his hard grasp. But her other arm was free and she wasn't going to give up.

Albert rushed back towards the house, doing everything he could to stop the girl from breaking free. And she wasn't helping at all; she was strong and she was writhing like a snake. The slippery mud on the path wasn't helping at all either and only his own experience from the Congo, where the sudden rain kept flooding the jungle, prevented him from losing his balance and falling on to the ground. Somehow he managed to reach the stairs but it was going to remain a mystery forever how he had managed to get to the top of it. It was also a wonder how he crossed the patio and finally went inside. Once there, he put her down on the the floor but afraid that she might run away again if he lets go of her, he held her tightly by the arms. It took him only an instant to take his dirty shoes off and shut the door with one swift kick. But he didn't care for much else, neither for the water dripping from them nor for the towels to dry them both, nor for the change of their clothing. It had to wait. The fire had to do for now. He dragged her towards the fireplace and sat on the floor, pulling her along with him. He wanted her to sit next to him but her still active resistance forced him to use more strength than he intended and she landed right on his lap. Without thinking, he immediately cut short her attempt to get up by holding her tighter and imprisoning her with his legs. Not the wisest of the choices, he realized immediately, such closeness might have damned him later but at least she finally stopped fighting him and only cried, somehow angrily.

"Why? Why did you do that? Why the hell did you run?" he exploded, swearing at himself right away for his outburst. So much for the chat with her he was planning so carefully! Slow and easy, right! "Why on Earth did you think I would have punished you for anything? Do I look like I could try to hurt you? Look at me! Candy, look at me, damn it! Do I?" he lifted her face to his, forcing her to look directly in his eyes. His anger was born partially from worry, partially from frustration and partially from something else but she couldn't possibly know that unless he told her. And when he realized fully the reasons of his anger, his voice instantly became softer, "It's not what you think."

"What… what is it then? Why…?" she sobbed.

"Silly you, don't you understand? I didn't push you away. I mean I did, but…" he sighed, softening slightly the grip on her chin. But he didn't let go of her completely, he wanted her to see his eyes when he was explaining. "Candy, I'm not playing any games with you, I just had to stop myself…" he said, "Otherwise I would have completely lost control…" _Hell I would have! And I still can!_

And her sobbing stopped instantaneously as if somebody flipped a switch. She must have understood her mistake too, he was certain.

"Were you serious about what you said earlier?"

"What…? When…?" replied the sound of her quiet, confused voice.

_When do you think, maybe at breakfast? _"Well, somewhere between screaming something ridiculous about the punishment and slamming the door…" he forced a smile, "Did you really say you want me?"

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she had heard him correctly, then nodded. And that was the acknowledgement that he had been waiting for. The simple action of a nod made his inner smile become much wider than the one on his lips.

"And you want me as your…?"

He could clearly feel how she tensed slightly. "I can't talk about this!" she replied. Her voice was louder now and definitely more conscious of what he was inquiring about.

"Why not?" he asked. _That's it, why on Earth not?_

"Because it's…" she paused and blushed. She couldn't lower her head for he was still holding her chin but she closed her eyes instead. "Becauseit'sindecent…" she finished breathlessly.

_Indecent thoughts... O--kay, that's something…_"Let's just… forget about the shame, rules, what's right or inappropriate, alright?" He used his other hand to stroke her back gingerly, as if trying to help her relax. "This is just between us two and right now I want you to be simply honest. And don't get shy," he added. She opened her eyes nodded again. "Just tell me how you felt… Did you enjoy the kiss?" _Oh, that's a brilliant question, you moron! _he scolded himself, clenching his teeth again. _Hell, she enjoyed it! You know that, she knows that, you both know that! You just want to hear how she feels about it now!_

"Why do you want to know that?"

_It's because I simply want to know if you liked me kissing you, damn it! _"Because being so close is important for me and I want to know if you liked it as much as I did… and if you felt… good when I was touching you…" he heard his own, slightly trembling voice. _Don't look at her lips, Albert, don't you dare look at her lips!_

"I did." Candy replied, her voice was barely a whisper.

"You did?" His voice now wasn't any louder than hers. _She did? She did? She did! She did! She said she did! Happy now?_

"I did." She repeated louder, "I… I liked it so much, it scares me…"

"Scares you? Why?" _Scares her? Well done, man, well done! _

"It might sound weird… but… it was like I was melting from the inside…I thought… before… but no, never like this… Never so strong…"

"No, Candy, it does not sound weird…" he buried his face in her hair to hide the smile of smugness. _Even better than well done! _Something screamed triumphantly in his mind. He pictured himself shaking his own hand in a gesture of gratulation but then he quickly shook off the image. They weren't done yet.

"And... and you, Albert?" he heard her voice, murmuring against his chest, "What did you… feel?"

_If I told her the truth, she would get scared and run again... She would, wouldn't she..? _"I didn't care…" he slowly whispered in her ear, "I wouldn't care even if the world was going to end!"

"Albert! You…"

"That's how you make me feel, Candy…" he continued. _That's how you make me feel, Candy..._

They sat in silence for few minutes. She didn't run. Not that he would let her anyway. Hell, there was no way he would let her run now!

"What are we going to do?" she asked finally. "With all of this, with us… Where do we go from here?"

_And where do you think I would like to go, love? _"Well," he let go of her slightly to look in her eyes again, "I guess there's only one way to find that out…" _Just say it, you coward, just say it!_

"You mean…"

_Just say it, you coward!_ "I am aware you might never forget Terry, but would you give me a chance? Would you let me heal your heart?" He swallowed, nervous again. _Say 'yes', Candy, please say: 'yes'..._ _Please, please say: 'yes'..._

"It is not like that. It hurt, but I had to let go of this love for him… and I did. It was leading me nowhere…" she sighed. "He has become a part of my past but I still say that _you_ deserved more than just picking up my broken pieces."

_Yes, yes, yes! _"Yes or no?" he asked calmly. "Would you be able to keep your heart open for me?" _Damn it, Albert, take your dirty hands off her waist!_

"I can't imagine anyone else I could open my heart for…"

_Oh, no. _"No, Candy." He raised one hand, cupped her face again and forced her to look at him. She swallowed, he could clearly see that. Or, more like, could feel that under his thumb. "You have to be sure you that want _me_, not because there's nobody else around…" _Albert, do not look at her lips, damn it! Don't you dare looking at her lips! _

"Alright, wrong words…" she opposed quietly, but lively. "I once told you I don't want to love anyone anymore… It has changed. It had changed a long time ago. What I feel when I'm with you, Albert, is far from what I'd ever thought I could… from what I had ever imagined…I think I want to discover that in you, in me... in us…" he felt as she swallowed again, this time harder, but her eyes were still locked with his. "…if only _you_ want me." She finished.

And then all the stars in his own personal sky began singing. _Yes, yes, yes! _his inner self screamed madly while performing some sort of primitive dance of joy. It felt a little weird because his outer self still sat absolutely motionlessly, looking in her eyes, widen by a silent understanding of his meaningful gaze."If _I_ want you?" he asked slowly, protractedly. _Alright man, now you can look._ "Come here." He said as he held her tighter. He placed a short but hard and fiery kiss on her lips. "You still doubt it?"

She didn't. No, she didn't. But he really didn't mind at all if she did. It just meant that he would have to convince her a few more times... and then some more...

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	9. THREADS

**CHAPTER NINE: THREADS**

**.**

**.**

The thunderstorm from the night before brought with it a refreshing breeze on their faces as they rode the horses the next morning. The little lake lay on their left like a dark blue mirror and its still surface coruscated in the morning sun.

Albert felt a hint of déjà vu. A year ago he had done the same, on the same horse, racing at breakneck speed to Weston's summer residence. Now, he was again, atop of Godo, feeling the wind brushing almost violently across his face. But it was far from being unpleasant; it was again giving him the sensation of flying. And this time he wasn't running away from anything, the very least, not from her. She was _with _him now and they were headed together towards something new. The wind seemed to be brushing away every worry, every wrinkle and every shadow from their being and that's who they really were; two souls born to be free, two people able to find the most pleasure in the simplest of things. The fate had tried to shape them into still and stiff forms of society but perhaps the new bond between them could help them find their freedom once again. The inner freedom. The common, mutual freedom.

When they finally crossed the stone bridge above the stream, finishing full circle around the lake, Candy laughed joyfully and her lively laughter echoed within the trees. "I am so, so glad I came here!" she yelled enthusiastically, still exhilarate from the fast horse ride, "There's no other place on Earth where I feel so alive and free! There's nothing like Lakewood!" She inhaled deeply the aromatic sharp smell of the pine forest and laughed again and he replied likewise. Her feelings about Lakewood fully corresponded with his own. It was truly one of the very few places he too felt free. "And Rhailla…" she added, stroking the mare's neck, "have you noticed how fast she is? She runs like the wind, yet, her gallop is so smooth that it really feels like flying! Riding on her is just so unbelievably pleasant!"

Again, he couldn't disagree and he mentioned that to her. For a moment, they chatted lively about the mare's qualities. Maybe Archie will consider her as a racing horse, Candy suggested. Albert had to admit that that was not a bad idea.

But Candy's appetite for adventure wasn't going to end with a fast horse ride. As they approached the cliffs ahead, her eyes shone a little more. Do you think we can go up there?" she inquired, pointing up.

"I don't see why not. It isn't as high as it seems." he replied trying not to read too much into the coincidence that had made her pick this spot. She couldn't have known that at the bottom of this very cliff, was the exact same spot he had stood the day before and watched her swim… "But be careful anyway." he added. "It might be slippery after the rain."

They left the horses near the water and started climbing. It wasn't an arduous ascent as there were plenty of ledges and handholds. But still, when they finally reached the top of the cliff, they were both out of breath. The panoramic view that lay out in front of them like a buffet, paid great rewards for their effort; they could see the entire family lake. On the other side of the massive liquid reflector, they could see the hickory forest on the left side and an evergreen pine forest on the other, blending together in the middle as if one huge forest. Then there were the chain of hills that surrounded the property, now covered in a ginger-golden coloured grass now gently swaying in the slow breeze. The sky stood still and high, and up above them, there were birds joyfully soaring across the clear air. All of this was so peaceful!

"I want to remember this all till the next time." she said, feasting her eyes on the view.

"It is a stunning view, I admit. I can take a photo from here for you. You could look at it whenever you want."

Blond curls bounced around her face when she firmly shook her head. "No, thank you, it's just fine with my memory. The picture would be probably beautiful, but the birds cannot fly there and the water doesn't move too… The whole beauty of this place is in its alive."

"Well said." He concluded, smiling wistfully.

They sat on the grass with their legs pendulously dangling off the precipice. It felt great. It felt almighty and very earthy, giving them the sensation of being just a little part of the nature that surrounded them. This feeling gave perspective to everything else as it helped them to look at everything from a distance. Yet, no matter how distant they were at the moment, the world was still close and Albert knew that. Their chains to society still existed and it held tightly.

"Do you have to get back to Chicago today?" he asked.

"I do." She replied in a sad voice, "There are only two trains; one in the morning and one in the evening. If I miss the one tonight, with the morning one tomorrow I will not make it on time for the afternoon shift in the hospital."

"I can always call Rogers to come and pick you up." he offered.

"It's fine, really. I didn't take much with me. Besides, if Rogers suddenly leaves for Lakewood after you had said that you are going to be here until the end of the month and comes back with me instead of you…" Candy gave him a questioning look. "…and that news reaches Aunt Elroy… How long do you think it's going to take before she flies off into one of her usual complaining moods?"

"Don't forget that I am the head of the family."

"Yes, you are." she agreed. "But you know very well that she hates me and will not hesitate to use such information against you. You have enough trouble with her as it is."

"She doesn't hate you. She just…" He paused for an instant. Candy was right, he had to admit to himself that her words were more than reasonable "But I guess you're right. You also might be in trouble."

"Oh, nothing can make my reputation even worse than it is. The way I dared to slip into this family, the way I live my life now… They will never consider me as a family member and most certainly, not as a lady." Candy laughed out load but he could clearly hear a bitter tone hidden within.

"Stop saying that!" he protested lively, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You underestimate yourself, Candy. You are more of a lady than any of those women. Their egos and desires to be called 'ladies' are even bigger than The Statue of Liberty!

"Well, as the Leegans always said, you have to be of good birth to be a lady." she said without looking at him and that only confirmed his suspicions about her real mood.

"And I say you have to have a heart of a lady and work hard to be one." he said in categorical tone.

"Does it really matter?" The girl shrugged. "But back to the point, I'm going back by train and nothing will change my mind about it. Better tell me what we are going to do in Chicago? I mean us… I mean…will I see you?"

"Of course you will. We will see each other but I'm afraid not as often as I wish we could. Also, there's a business trip already scheduled for me and I can't avoid it nor delay it. But I will definitely see you before I leave."

"How long will you be away?" she asked, looking down. Candy tugged at the grass blades, tearing them in half.

"A month or so."

"That doesn't sound too bad…You've been away longer…"

_Yes, an entire year…_

Everything seemed so fragile all of a sudden! Despite what happened between them two yesterday, he still felt how delicate the bond between them was. Not because they didn't want to make it stronger; it was because they were at the beginning. And the beginning of anything is always fragile. There was just one more thing he wanted to ask her for. Could he? Could he test the thread of their still forging relationship by asking her for this?

"Candy…" he began, "I hope you can understand what I am about to ask for… Can you keep it secret? I mean us two."

His fears gathered as Candy stopped tearing at the grass. She looked at him with eyes narrowing in disbelief. "You want to… hide it?" she asked. She stared at him, not knowing what was going through his mind, she then slowly added: "Are you ashamed of being with me?"

No, he wasn't ashamed of it. That just wasn't it. He wanted to keep it a secret for her sake. He didn't want other people to know and interfere. He didn't want other people to put pressure on her and make her declare anything before she was ready to do so on her own. And it was also for his own sake as well; he didn't want other people to pity him again, if she changed her mind…

"How could you think I might be ashamed of being with you, Candy?" he asked quietly. "I simply don't want to mention it for a while. We just started and I want to have some time for us two only, without spying eyes and busybodies all around. And it's not forever you understand, don't worry."

"Okay, sounds reasonable…" Candy replied nodding slowly. Then slowly but surely, one of her mischievous smiles brightened her face. "It might even be fun," she added.

If human's eyes could ever have question marks, it was now. "Fun?" he repeated blankly.

"You know, having a little secret that absolutely no one else in the world knows about…"

_Oh, yes!_ He shook his head, amused. Only she was capable of turning everything on its head and seeing an opportunity to have fun within a reasonable proposition! The thread had held. The bond felt stronger all of a sudden, not as fragile as it had seemed only a few minutes before.

"I think I agree with you." His own smile became wider. "No… I definitely agree!"

O O O

The two horses, Godo and Rhailla couldn't have dreamed of a better morning. First, there was their meal. As usual, it was served at dawn, followed by a pleasant brushing. And then, later, there was the warm up, which they welcomed with joy, knowing full well that it was in preparation for a ride. The ride itself was fantastic; this time they were taken around the lake and as they galloped against the wind they could again feel that they were wonderfully alive... And now there were copious amounts of wonderful, tender, tasty grass, refreshed by yesterdays' rain. The bank was partially shaded by the trees, yet there were some areas that were warmed up by the sunshine. And to complete the picture of happiness, the grass was only inches away from the fresh, cool water from the lake. Grass, shade, sunshine and water – it meant paradise to them. Even though they didn't know the concept of time in the human world, they knew it had been a while since they had entered this tiny paradise.

And then, something made them raise their heads. It was a soft whistle. It was a call. And they knew the caller. And, right after that another whistle blast came to their ears, sharper this time. It was a sign to go. Godo immediately abandoned the grass; Rhailla, even though not so enthusiastically, followed him and they both galloped to join the one who was calling for them. When they got here, He welcomed them with a caress. Godo knew this man very well. Although the man wasn't here very often, it was him who gave Godo and the two other horses the most delicious food, his love and care. There was this other man who was their owner, yet, _this _man was who he considered his real master and he was the one whom they welcomed with most friendly neighing and snorting they could let out. Godo liked his voice. He sometimes even wished to understand this weird human language, especially for this man, just to know what he was saying to them in those moments when he came to the stable. But the end of the day, it didn't matter that he didn't understand the man's words. He understood the man's heart and free spirit, as the man always understood his, Godo's. The man understood the animal's simple language and that was enough for him.

But Rhailla, after receiving her portion of caresses from the man, focused on the girl standing next to him. She was made out of the same substance as the man and Rhailla sensed it with her unexplainable instinct. If this weird man made her believe that human beings are not as bad as she initially feared, the girl was the one who enchanted Rhailla's wild, horse's heart with her own wildness. This girl somehow knew that she didn't like to be approached directly. This girl knew how to adjust to her behavior. This girl understood her needs and that's why Rhailla was now willingly allowing her to caress her muzzles and neck.

The man said something with his calm voice and the mare's ears turned towards its direction. Then, the girl's lively voice replied to whatever he said and their voices entwined in one.

"I wish I knew how you are doing this." Candy said, "I know you can train the horse to react to the whistle but they don't just simply follow your command. They turn their ears towards your voice, like they were really listening to you. Like they wanted to listen and understand. And they seem to wait for the sound of your voice when you go silent…"

"I'm not doing anything special." Albert protested with a smile. "I understand animals and their language and I know what tone of my voice is pleasant for them. And what does the most of the magic is just showing the love and respect to them. They are simply returning it. And you definitely should be the one who understands. You love animals too."

"I do. It's just… so amazing seeing you talking to them and getting a reply. I wish I could learn how to do it."

"I don't think I have to teach you anything." He opposed softly "You have your own way. What you did with Rhailla, you know, the day before yesterday… that was something really, really special…"

They decided to walk all the way to the villa and let the horses follow them. It was then Albert stretched out his hand to her and waited with a silent plea in his eyes. She hesitated for a moment and shyly gave him her own. She knew the warmth of his hand so well, but this time holding hands meant something different. Everything was so different now!

His departure last year tore them apart before she could do anything about the changes she had discovered in her heart. Since he came back, she ascertained her feelings but at the same time she felt unworthy of getting a second chance of being with him and when she came to Lakewood, she did it mostly to have the long overdue conversation and clear things up between them. But then the impossible happened. He wasn't only her friend anymore, it was more than that; he was her boyfriend. Weird word: boyfriend. She still needed time to adjust to this thought.

_Isn't it odd… _she wondered as they walked the path, _He already kissed me more than once, yet, I get more embarrassed holding his hand… It's like a final stamp, a sign of acceptance of us being together. Although we had decided yesterday, it didn't sink in my mind until now. That kiss yesterday…oh God, if somebody told me about those feelings such a kiss could arouse, I wouldn't have believed it. I've never felt anything like that before. I can't even say what I felt exactly – it's like my mind has been blinded. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't control myself at all; all I remember was that I wanted that kiss to last forever… I really felt like I was melting… but why? How? I had known him for so long and never thought of him becoming a man, being a man for me, at least not in this way.... I had always thought of Terry being my only man. Was I wrong? No, no, I wasn't, I couldn't be… I loved Terry; I loved him so much… And a part of me still does, in a weird, distant way… What is it then I feel towards Albert? The way my body reacted yesterday is unmistakable and undeniable. It wasn't a one-time surprise; the very first kiss he gave me on my birthday last year caused exactly the same reaction in me, my body reacted beyond my will, but back then I was simply too blind and too confused to admit it. It wasn't the surprise. What is it then? Is it just a plain desire that drives my body?_

As if sensing her uneasy mood he gently squeezed her hand. She turned to him only to see a delicate, friendly smile brightening his face. And, as always in his presence, she felt the wave of warmth filling up her heart, this pleasant feeling of being safe with him.

_No, of course it isn't only a desire, you silly, _she answered her own question. _How can you even think that? A desire is only an unexpected addition to what I already had with him. He had been always my friend, my older brother... at least that was what I wanted him to be, what I allowed him to be. That year we spent apart made me see him in a different light. It made me realized that my feelings for him were always deeper than just a friendship and can only deepen, if I only let it happen. The only thing I really didn't expect was this desire and its strength. And the first time I consciously felt it was at the very moment he stood at my door in July…_

At this moment she felt Albert's fingers gently stroking hers. She wasn't sure if she could return the caress.

_What do I do now? How should I act with him? What happened yesterday was an act of wild, blinding passion, but today we are back to the reality. What stood between us didn't disappear; I can still feel it, but how should I treat him now? Part of me wants to reply to his touch, as I was doing so in my dreams and show him that I am not insensitive. But this isn't a dream! This is the reality and the other part of me doesn't want to be too bold. We just became a couple! We'd only began making things right between us only three days ago and everything that happened has happened so fast since then! Oh God, what do I do? Where is the old, anxious Candy when she's really needed? My entire body yearns for his touch, it yearns for him and yet, I'm so ridiculously shy! Why? Why do I feel so stupidly embarrassed? _

Candy realized that Albert's fingers weren't moving anymore. She glanced at him again; his gaze was serious, a little sad and lost somewhere within the trees ahead.

_He must have seen this grimace of confusion on my face… Oh Candy, you selfish, selfish idiot! _She scolded herself, _When are you going to stop thinking of yourself and your dilemmas only? Why don't you think of him for a second? It must be a difficult time for him too! All these years of repressing his feelings, your rejection, then this year apart and then, all these events happening, one straight after another… and now, suddenly having you by his side, the fact I guess he longed for… yeah, having you by his side and seeing doubts on your face surely wasn't the part he longed for! He surely misunderstood what these doubts are about! Come on, Candy, it is still Albert! Your Albert, your once best friend, a person whom you have trusted the most! He had always been there and then for you and this hasn't changed at all! He won't think anything bad of you if you show him some affection; he's proven himself many times, even today. Come on, do something! Do something to restore this wonderful smile of his!_

And without taking her eyes of him, the girl gently squeezed the man's hand. Then, her fingers slowly, shyly began stroking his hand in the same manner he had done earlier.

Without stopping, the man turned towards the girl. She was also looking at him and he read shyness in her eyes. Not regret or doubts as he feared before; it was a simple shyness. And he understood. This incredible girl was crazy one minute and the next, for some weird reason, shy with him… The relief he felt made him smile again. And she smiled back at him. Her smile was hesitant at first but with each passing second it began changing into one of those he loved in her so much; wide and beaming. And her eyes blinked now with tenderness.

The man returned her gentle caress.

This walk was different from so many others they have had before; it was a walk without words, hand in hand, with him lost in thought and her also. It was a walk with quick, stolen glances and quick smiles, with his fingers stroking hers, with her fingers returning in kind, slow and serious, so full of warmth and unspoken joy. Words were not needed here.

"I will give you a lift to the station." he offered when they finally crossed the gate. The horses found their way to the stable while they stopped for a moment in the garden.

"Okay, but I don't want you to wait to see me off. I have to confess something: I hate goodbyes too."

He laughed.

"Albert…" she added quieter "Can I ask you for something?"

"Of course you can."

"Can you…" she lowered her voice even more and now it sounded more like a whisper "…can you kiss me again..?"

And not realizing it, with this simple request once again she made the thread between them even stronger. Much stronger.

This time it was different. This time there was no surprise at all; there was just a conscious will, a conscious move… She stepped closer to him and let him take her in his welcoming arms… She placed her hands on his chest and raised her face… His lips softly rested on hers, as if he wanted to taste her, then, entwined with hers in the exact way they should, as if they belonged exactly there… he caressed her hair… The wave of heat was slower this time yet, it had the same power. Even if she might have had any doubts before, now she would have proof. It wasn't a surprise that made all her senses go crazy yesterday, neither was it a plain desire… As he deepened the kiss she felt it all wakening again, but then, there was even more than that... It was deep inside her; some inner happiness that almost made her cry...

Slowly, reluctantly they broke off the kiss, still smiling and enjoying being in each others arms. Two people in riding suits, standing like a red and brown island within the sea of green rosy bushes, with their arms embracing each other…

"Albert… is the world ending already?" she asked.

He understood and laughed warmly. "Any second now, Candy, any second!"

"You changed, Albert…" as she was speaking, her face became more serious.

"I did?" he asked. Needless question, of course he had…

"Yes, you changed in Africa. I have known you for most of my life and yet, recently I get this feeling I do not know you at all… I get nervous with you… like… like on a first date…"

"It is kind of a date…" he smiled with the corner of his lips.

"Yes... I guess it is…" she nodded. "You know, we had always been so close, always supporting each other. I trusted you with my life! And you had always been my Prince of the Hill… But there is more than that, I discovered that a while ago. I saw not only the prince from my childish dream, a friend or a guardian angel. I saw a man…"

"And what do you think of that man?" he drew her a little closer again.

"I… I find that man very attractive…" she whispered, blushing, "…mysterious and irresistible… It scares me because I never thought of you that way… You, always so gentle and tender! But I also like what I see. And yesterday… yesterday you woke something in me…" _It was a woman who emerged from the girl…_ She thought. _Tell him this, tell him now, you will not find the courage again! _"It was a woman in me you awoke." She continued firmly "And that woman…" she paused again.

"…and that woman…?" he was not going to let her back off even an inch. Not this time.

"…and that woman in me wants a… wants this man in you…"

His only reply was to hug her tighter. _She said that, she really said that! I can't believe it! _He thought feverishly_. _The next thought was weird and really not in place. _ Jolie, you stubborn woman, you were right, you were so damn right! _

"And you are going to get to know that man, Candy, I promise!" He murmured in her ear and she shivered. He smiled at her reaction and repeated huskily: "Oh, I promise…"

They were only at the beginning of their path. But their bond held tight and they both decided to walk this path together.

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	10. ONE THING WILL NEVER CHANGE

**CHAPTER TEN: ONE THING WILL NEVER CHANGE**

It was when she was coming back home from the hospital, that she saw the article on the newsstand. It was right there in front of her, with huge capitals letters in the headlines.

'_**A SPECTACULAR SUCCESS ON BROADWAY! THE STAR COMES BACK AFTER A LONG ABSENCE! **_Usually she would have completely ignored the tabloids, but this time it was different. She bought the newspaper and not caring about the cool September wind, she went to the park and sat on the edge of the fountain and began reading. She stared at the picture on the front page and right there, there were a pair of nearly hypnotic blue eyes staring right back at her.

This time, Strassford Theater presented another Shakespearian piece, 'Macbeth', also known as 'The Scottish Play'. She remembered the gossip about this. Apart from the audience, nobody from the cast and crew were allowed to call the play by its original name as it was meant to bring bad luck. The article described in detail the fantastic performances from the actors to the standing ovation from the audience after the premiere. Dozens of men bowed to the talent and charisma of the main actor. Scores of women kept sending love letters to the dashingly handsome lead performer of Macbeth, who was none other than Terrence Graeme Grandchester himself.

_How typical, it's all old Terry, breaking women's hearts wherever he goes! I hope you are happy, Terry, you and Susanna…_ she thought with a tiny twitch in her heart. _Forgive me… you said we couldn't be together in this life, but one day we will meet in another…I know you meant good, wanted to give me hope, but I can't keep believing in this. Maybe you had found the strength to bear it, to live with it but I can't wait for it anymore. I have to truly fight for my own happiness… And I want to fight, you know? And I'm sorry but it isn't because I once promised you so… I fight for myself... and for him..._

She touched the picture with her fingers and stroked the face that was once so dear to her.

_Congratulations, Terrence G. Grandchester! I'm so, so proud of you after all... I've always known that the world will be at your feet… And I want you to be happy, even if you're happy without me. I couldn't keep you and that hurt, but now I think that watching your fall was even more painful. I don't want to witness that ever again! And always, wherever I go, I will wish you good luck and happiness… THIS will never change…_

She left the newspaper on the edge of the fountain and got up.

"Good bye, Terry… You were the light of my youth…" she said, looking up at the stars. Then, she turned and walked away. There were no tears in her eyes and as she carried on walking through the park, her smile became brighter and brighter.

She was already quite far off when a sudden gust of wind blew the forgotten newspaper, first skywards and then downwards and into the pool. The thin paper soaked quickly and a little time later, all that was left of the picture on the front page was a giant inkstain.

O O O

©GosieKin 2009


	11. FROM AFAR

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: FROM AFAR**

Chicago, 7th October 1922

Candy went to the changing room and took her uniform off. The long day was finally over. She was physically exhausted, but her soul was singing. She had assisted in a very complicated surgery with doctor Jacobs, the legend! And he praised her! _Her_! What an honor!

When she was getting ready to leave the building, the heavens opened up. She looked up at the dreary grey sky and sighed with disappointment as the rain fell harder and harder. Out of all the days in the week, it had to rain _today,_ when she had left her umbrella at home! It was so sunny in the morning that she didn't even think of taking it with her.

She waited for a few minutes but it didn't look like the rain was going let up anytime soon and she knew that she had to wait for another opportunity to enjoy her successful day. There was no chance for that joyful slow walk through the park she had hoped for. She looked up again, and only this time, she saw a tenebrous dark sky. There was no other way; she could either wait God knows how long until the rain stopped or run now, in a very naïve hope that she will make it home before she soaks completely through. No, she was just too tired to wait it out, she just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Candy stood at the entrance to the building for just a few more seconds and as soon as the heavy downpour relaxed to a dirty blattering*7*, she grabbed her cape and lifted it above her head. Using her makeshift umbrella, she ran as fast as she could but just as she had feared, her cape soaked through within seconds. By the time she reached her street, she was all bedraggled. But at least she was home. She fumbled with her keys and lock, getting wetter by the second as the rain beat down relentlessly. Finally, she was in. Candy managed to get up three steps of the staircase when she looked back and stopped; in her mail box she noticed a flash of white paper. _A letter! _She smiled and jumped down the three steps excitedly. She opened the compartment and looked inside. No, not _a_ letter; _two_ letters. The impatient part in her wanted to read them right this instant, but she was shivering and the part of her called common sense told her to get changed before she catches a cold. Candy looked down and noticed that she was standing in a small puddle which wasn't there before. Getting changed out of these soaking wet clothes first was a good idea.

_The rain in October wasn't the same as in August..._ she thought a little later, enjoying the warmness of her cashmere sweater, additionally supported by a warm cozy blanket, cocooned around her body. She glanced at the window. It was still raining. She wriggled around for a moment, trying to nestle herself in the most comfortable position in the armchair. When she finally succeeded, she reached over to the coffee table and picked up the letters and a mug of steaming hot cocoa. She opened the first letter and took a sip from her mug. The hot sweet chocolaty nectar instantly began doing its job. Just as the blanket was doing its job warming her on the outside, this hot sacchariferous goodness was warming her up on the inside. Sipping slowly, she began reading.

The first letter was short.

'_Candy,' _she read, _'Where have you been recently? I couldn't catch you anywhere and since you have refused to have a telephone, I can't even call you… You work too much… Please, let me know when you will have at least an afternoon off. I would like to invite you to the restaurant. There's so much to talk about… _

_I miss you - Annie'_

_I know, Annie… _she thought. _I miss you too... But there was so much going on in the hospital lately…_

The second letter wasn't signed on the back of the envelope but she recognized the handwriting straight away. She would have recognized this handwriting anywhere.

She placed her mug back on the coffee table and expectantly tore open the envelope.

_Washington, 2nd Oct 1922_

'_Hey, you…' _she read, hearing the low, silky voice of the sender. His voice resounded in her mind so often that she had no problem imagining that he was standing right next to her and saying all those words by himself. _'We are still on the business trip and of course all my hopes of dealing with everything as fast as possible, has now disappeared in a puff of smoke. Just my luck! Things have gotten a little complicated in Washington and we had to stay here a bit longer. I nearly forgot how exhausting, yet, boring business meetings can be! Believe me, after a year of living a totally different life I find myself barely capable of focusing again on all of those reports, billings, statements and business offers… At some point it all becomes just a pile of papers and each single page is only a wall of words, written in this recondite, bureaucratic style that I hate so much… I'm actually angry with myself for being so distracted for I should, as a head of the family, be more responsible and focused and so on and so on… Thank God for George and for his never ending patience. His scrupulosity in organizing everything to the detail is unbelievable and enviable…'_

Candy stopped reading and mused for a second, blankly looking at the sky through the window. The storm cloud had dissipated, leaving behind a darkening sky. _That's true, _she said to herself, smiling. _George is sometimes invaluable… But I doubt he would have ever believed his ears if someone told him that Albert envied him in a way…_

'_Now, as I'm sending this letter, we are finally leaving for Pittsburgh, next will be Cleveland and Detroit. I do sincerely hope that everything will go smoothly, with no further delays and then we can get back to Chicago before Christmas… _

"Christmas?" she complained out loud, again, lifting her eyes from the letter, "Christmas? As far as I know, it was supposed to be only for one month!"

'_Haha, got you!' _she continued reading, _'You believed it, didn't you? I can imagine your angry face and how you impatiently stopped right in the middle of the sentence, complaining: "it was only going to be a month!" I guessed right, didn't I? I know I did…'_

"Very funny, you teaser,"she smirked. A smile of fondness immediately curled her lips.

'_And just for the record: I was just kidding… We will definitely be back before November! It's all because of this delay and believe me, it doesn't make me any happy either. I already feel like I've been on this trip forever. I never thought I was going to say it but I miss home… and not only home… You have quite a few dozen doppelgangers', I see you in almost every blond girl with curls. But nobody has your smile… I miss that smile so much… I miss everything in you… And how about you? Do you miss me, even just a little?'_

Did _she_ miss him? There hadn't been a day that had gone by without her constantly thinking about him! After he had come back from Lakewood, they met up a few times. She was a little worried that maybe the spell of the summer will fade and they will be embarrassed, unsure of how to act in this new union between them, but no, it felt just right. They had simply spent time together, enjoying each others company. Last year cast a huge shadow on their trust, and now they had to rediscover each other in some new way, but it felt that it was a right way. It was, from the very beginning, from the very first minute she spent in Lakewood, from day one. And yes, she missed him now. She missed him more and more with each passing day. But her longing was totally different from the one last year. This time she missed him and she missed him terribly but there was no bitterness in this longing. This longing was bitter sweet, impatient and calm the same time. Impatient; because she couldn't wait to see him again; calm – because she knew that sonner or later that he will eventually come back. And the sweet part was the certainty that this time he will come back _to her_…

She looked at the letter again to read the remaining lines.

'_I hope you are well? The summer was gorgeous, but the autumn is horrible this year. Don't run without your scarf, as you usually do when you leave for work in the morning, lost in thought!' _

Yeah, it wouldn't feel like Albert, if he didn't remind her of her absent-mindedness after all!

'_I wish I had you here, with me, everything is so grey without your smile… I can't wait to see you. _

_Yours, Albert.' _

Candy smiled warmly. She could wait. It was worth waiting... And at least they had those letters. And this time she did have a return address. And she was going to use it. And not just once…

She could wait.

O O O

*7* **Dirty blattering –** according to BBC it's a strange driving rain that seems to have a supernatural ability to get you wet, even when you just look at it from the safety of your front door. It hammers against windows, and waves of water seem to pour off roofs, down gutters and against bus shelters. ;) Fancy reading more? Visit http:// www. bbc. co. uk/ dna /h2g2 /A14281265

©GosieKin 2009


	12. AM I SO STRONG?

**Dear Readers, I have noticed that some of you (I.E all of you, yes, you too, you, the readers who don't leave comments! I can hear you moaning!) have complained that the last two chapters were short. **

**I could have fattened up the chapters by adding random stuff but it would've made for a poor read as a lot of it would have been just 'padding'. Indeed they were short but for good reason. I wanted both the chapters to get straight to the point. Goodbye Terry, Hello Albert. Look at it as a precursor to the meaty goodness that is to yet to come... I'm sure you, the reader, will appreciate quality over quantity.**

**We tried to do a Christmas special but just didn't have the time, there was barely enough time to finish this chapter. But we prevailed, with Logan slaving away every day until the wee hours of the morning (5am to be precise!), editing and putting the finishing touches (a few lashes of the whip is a good motivator, I find), just so you could have this in time. I'm sure you would rather have a 'proper' chapter than a 'Christmas special' (which I think you would prefer)**

**This new chapter was completed with a lot of blood, sweat and tears (mainly Logan's)**

**Be patient. Don't forget, "Good things come to those who wait!"**

**Now, pick up the right greeting for yourself…**

Arabic: أجمل التهاني بمناسبة الميلاد و حلول السنة الجديدة

Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo!

Bulgarian: Честита Коледа!

Chinese: 聖誕快樂

Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok!

Dannish: Glædelig Jul!

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast!

English: Merry Christmas!

Eskimo: Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon!

Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi!

Finnish: Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta!

French: Joyeux Noel!

German: Froehliche Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr!

Greek: Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Hebrew: חג מולד שמח ושנה טובה

Hindi: Shub Naya Baras!

Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket!

Icelandic: Gledileg Jol!

Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal dan tahun baru!

Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat!

Italian: Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo

Japanese: メリークリスマス

Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!

Lithuanian: Linksmų Kalėdų ir laimingų Naujųjų Metų!

Norwegian: God jol og godt nyttår!

Polish: Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!

Russian: С наступающим Новым Годом

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Spanish: ¡Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo!

Swedish: Ett Gott Nytt År!

Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun!

Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym!

Welsh: Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda

**Hope you enjoy!**

**P.S I don't want to hear that this chapter was too long! ;p**

**.**

**.**

**CHAPTER TWELVE: AM I SO STRONG?**

Chicago, 22nd October 1922

"You are a bad, bad girl!" Annie snorted, dipping the waffle into her ice cream. It was a warm Sunday afternoon and due to the Tyndall effect, the sky was filled with different shades of bright baby blue. Both the young women were relishing each others company in one of the popular restaurants.

"It was like you disappeared from the face of the Earth for three months! Just like that time before, back in the summer."

"I'm sorry, Annie…" Candy tried to apologize quickly, but it was not quick enough, Annie wasn't going to stop complaining.

"I couldn't find you anywhere, every time I went to see you at home, you were working and when I go to the hospital to see you even for a few minutes, you're either too busy or you had already left…" Annie carried on almost without stopping, "How is that, that I have to resort to sending letters to my friend when I wish to talk to her? I was beginning to think you had moved out and lived in the hospital!"

"It would have been easier." Candy smiled "But I really like my little nest and my independence."

"Oh, I believe that! But why don't you at least install a telephone in your apartment?"

Candy lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender "Annie, you know I'm barely at home and besides, I wanted to be left in peace and quiet… At the time, I wasn't really up for having a social life or fun, even with you, please forgive me…but I promise I will think again of having a phone." she added.

Annie immediately forgot about complaining and looked at her friend carefully "Are you up to having a bit of fun now?"

"Maybe." was Candy's slow and careful reply.

Annie's eyes now shone with curiosity as she leaned over the table slightly. "Is there something I should know about?" she whispered.

Candy rubbed her cheek and stared into her ice cream. She was trying to avoid a direct answer.

"Nothing really. I'm just back to my normal self again, I guess."

"May I guess the reason behind it?"

"You may."

"The only reason you were sad in the first place was because of the problems with Albert. Have you guys talked yet?"

But of course....it was really naïve of her to think that Annie wouldn't have guessed it sooner or later. Her friend knew her all too well to miss such a thing like her good mood... "Yes, we did." she replied calmly.

"And?" said Annie fervently.

"And we talked and then we explained everything. You were right, Annie. Thank you." Candy smiled innocently.

"And?" Annie nearly jumped out of her seat in frustration.

"What do you mean by 'and'?"

"Come on, spill the beans. What's up with you two?"

Suddenly the view of the last cherry at the bottom of the dessert became very fascinating and Candy began stirring the rest of the melted ice cream with her spoon. "Nothing big so far…" she murmured "You know, he just came back from the trip and went away again on business…"

"Oh, come on, you are killing me now!" Annie's face twisted into an agonized look of impatience, "Some details would be nice, please!"

_Annie, you know that there's something going on and I know that you know but I promised him..._

Candy looked at Annie, this time openly "I will disappoint you, Annie. I'm sorry; I'm really not ready to talk about this just yet… All of this is so fresh, so fragile… I promise I will tell everything you when the time is right."

"Oh, you are such a horrible clam!" Annie groaned in irritation "Okay, I will wait. But at least tell me if it looks all right with you two."

"Yes, I would say it is rather positive." Candy smiled again. "That's all I can tell you now. Just keep your fingers crossed, okay?"

Annie reluctantly gave up. "As you wish… But at least tell me then why you buried yourself in work so much!"

"Oh, there was just so much going on recently…"

"You work too much as always, I can tell by how skinny you are. Actually," Annie looked carefully at her entire body, "you are way too skinny. Are you forgetting to eat again?"

"No, Mummy-Annie…" Candy laughed at seeing the surprise on her friend's face when she used Annie's old nickname. "Don't worry, I am a big girl. It's just whatever I eat, I digest it all before I finish my first round around the ward! We are always so busy…"

"Alright, big girl, tell me how busy you are!"

And Candy told her briefly about the flu epidemic that had caused a recent increase in the number of patients, about the long nights spent at the ward, running from one bed to another… She herself was lucky, she hadn't caught it yet and it didn't look like she was going to. There were also some funnier short stories to tell, like the time when some weird, scratching noises were heard coming from the reception during the quiet nights and how they all began hunting what they thought was a rat. The hunt was successful but the rat turned out to be a hamster that had escaped after being smuggled into the hospital by one of the children. And there were also other things, more special to her and that wasn't something she was going to just summarize.

"...I have a very special patient under my care now." she continued "His name is Willis and he is a sailor. He was hit by a falling packing crate at the harbor a while ago and there was a suspicion that he had a broken backbone when they got him to us. I was the only one with him when he regained consciousness. He was in pain and panicking and to distract his attention I did something silly... I examined him before the doctors came. I mean it wasn't a proper examination, I only checked by running one finger down his back and consulting with him. I don't know how, but I found the actual location of the bone fracture. You know, we had this paralyzed soldier with the bullet stuck in his back in `18 and we talked a lot when I was taking care of him. I remember I asked him if it hurts and he told me that he doesn't feel anything below the spot where he got shot. It was the same with this sailor; he didn't feel anything below one point. Oh gosh, you don't know how angry one of the doctors was with me for my waywardness! But, what was really weird, the other doctor, Dr Jacobs, was impressed because apparently I guessed right! He even made me assist with the surgery! But that's not the end of the story." Candy sipped the rest of her coffee "Some time after the surgery, this patient complained about his legs being itchy. My first fear: scabies or some other form of ectoparasite. But I soon realized that the sensation of ants running along his legs that he had described was nothing more than feeling coming back to him and Dr Jacobs confirmed that. It will take time but there's hope that he will one day walk again. And I'm going to make it happen. And there's one more thing: Dr Jacobs noticed my interests in learning more and offered to lend me some of his books. I can now get to read more than what they have in a library!"

"It's great, Candy! We should make a little toast for that!" Annie smiled, raising her juice.

"You bet!" replied Candy with the same gesture.

"I can clearly see how much you love what you do; you speak about it with so much passion!" Annie's face had a funny smirk "I envy you..."

"You can talk! Like you have something to complain about! Archie spoils you as if you were his princess!" Candy teased.

Annie nodded. "I know. He is still charming, but he has changed a little during the past year, I don't know, maybe it was working with Monty... There's more of his old fire back in him… I like it! But I haven't changed… I'm just his old, boring wife, I guess."

"Well, I guess I know then where all those beautifully knitted pillows in your house came from..."

"Shut up!" Annie playfully slapped Candy's hand "I'm completing your trousseau."

"Good luck with that! You will fill up an entire room with pillows before that happens!" Candy snorted and their cheerful laughter echoed above the table. "Such a pity Patty isn't here with us…" she added with sadness "She lives in New York almost all the time now."

"It's true…" Annie agreed, "You have your career, Patty has her feminist fight, only I remain at being a boring house wife. Compared to you two, I feel like a hen laying eggs."

Candy pouted her lips teasingly. "Sure, but you are a very lovely hen."

"Thanks a lot!" Annie moaned, "You were supposed to disagree… So much for your friendly support…"

Candy bowed her head in a pretend courtesy. "Always a pleasure." She replied, giggling. "Annie, why are you wriggling so much?" she added, noticing her friend looking out the window.

"No, it's nothing. He is already here!" Annie smiled when the door opened and the waiter led a new guest to their table. "I wanted to have you for myself first so I asked him to join us a little later."

"You _asked_?" a male voice sounded above them "Don't believe her, Candy, she forbade me to come anytime earlier, I had to mess around in the shops nearby for two hours! Poor me…"

"Archie!" Annie scolded her husband with a smile.

"What a surprise, Archie! It`s nice to see you!" Candy hugged him and then, glanced at both of them "Is there a special occasion?"

Archie sat down, called the waiter over and discreetly placed an order. He then turned again to the table and faced Candy, smiling rakishly. "You are telling me that friends need a special occasion to meet up? We missed you."

"Alright, alright, Archie..." Candy had already sniffed out more than just a friendly meeting in the air "I missed you guys too but why are you beaming like a Cheshire cat? Are you drunk?"

"Nope. But I am going to be."

"Have you gone insane?"

"Nope. But I am going to be."

When the waiter came and placed three glasses of champagne on the table, Candy raised her eyebrows in puzzlement. No, there was definitely something more going on than just a friendly meeting. And this champagne definitely wasn't to celebrate her little success at the hospital. Archie didn't even know about that. "Can anyone tell me what is going on?" she asked, noticing the meaningful looks the couple gave to each other.

"You or me?"

"You tell her, Annie."

"Candy…" Annie started, turning to her. "There is a reason for this meeting indeed. You are the first person we wanted to inform…"

"About what?"

Annie just sat there and smiled.

"Well?" said Candy as she leaned over the table.

Annie still sat there and smiled.

"Oh, come on, you are killing me now!" Candy said, pulling the same face Annie had done earlier.

"We are expecting a baby."

"...and that is the exact reason why I am going to get drunk and then go insane." Archie interrupted lively "But the next one will be in about six months time."

"Annie, that's wonderful! Congratulations!" Candy almost jumped with excitement. "I know how long you've been waiting..."

"Exactly two years. And I'm going to raise a toast…" Archie said proudly "…for my son…"

"…or your daughter…" Annie cut in teasingly.

"…or my daughter, "Archie repeated without blinking "with the most important women in my life: my wife and my best friend."

"I am going to cry… No, I'm crying already! This is all your fault!" Candy sobbed and they all laughed. "When are you going to tell your parents?"

"Within the next few days I suppose." Archie replied "Same for our dear family vagabond. He called to let us know that we should expect him at the end of this week."

Hearing this, Candy tried not to smile. Not that she didn't know… she knew before anybody else! She just couldn't wait… She even made sure she had an afternoon off on that day. Albert wanted her to just wait for him at home but she really felt the temptation of surprising him and greet him properly this time, at the station. On the other hand though, she hesitated, maybe he was right; if she waited at home, they would be free from other people's nosy looks… She couldn't help but blush slightly at the prospect. _Oh, well, _she thought, _there's still a few days left to decide… _

"She is not even listening to us…" came to her ears.

Clearly, Archie was saying something and she didn't even notice, lost in her daydream! "But of course I am!" she protested defensively.

"Ri--ght..." Archie raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "And I'm sure that your smile has nothing to do with the news of a certain businessman coming back…"

There was no point in denying that… "But of course I am glad that he is coming back." she said simply, innocently, "Isn't everybody?"

Annie muffled a little chuckle. "Ri--ght…" she murmured under her breath, smiling. "So, Candy…" she added louder, "…how is it going to be with those pillows?"

Archie wasn't in on the joke and glanced at both girls, puzzled. "Pillows? What pillows?" he asked, and on seeing his silly face, Annie and Candy giggled uncontrollably. "Girls…" he rolled his eyes, "Who could ever understand you fully?"

The time passed quickly with jokes and smalltalk of as yet unmade plans. Some time later, Candy looked at her watch. "I'm afraid I have to go soon. I don't want to be late for my shift."

"Another nightshift, Candy? How many have you done recently?" Annie asked.

"Who would count them…? I got used to it. And they need me even more, now that a few nurses have taken ill."

"Let us at least give you a lift." Archie offered.

That, she couldn't reject…

O O O

It was just another long night. Both Candy and Liz had plenty of work between them and apart from the standard procedures in reception, their extra duties included taking care of the many patients who were suffering from fever. Candy never complained and when they were finishing up in the morning, she felt a little lightheaded.

The Head Nurse looked at her carefully. "Candy, you look pale. Are you alright?

"Yes, it's just…" she managed to say before sinking to the floor.

"Candy! What's up with you, Candy!" The older woman knelt beside her. "Lizzie, get the doctor at once! Janice, you help me to get her on to the settee." she ordered quickly.

Candy could hear their voices but they seemed far away and faint.

"Candy, can you hear me?"

She felt a hand touching her forehead, lifting her eyelids and checking her pulse, but nothing was said. She felt so weak…

"Candy, talk to me!"

She forced herself to open her eyes. The world was still spinning but not as madly as before.

"You scared us. Stay still. The doctor is coming."

"I'm... sorry.... I...." she said, trying to raise her head.

"I said, don't get up. Here, hold this." she felt the cold touch of the thermometer being pushed into her mouth.

The door opened and one of the doctors on duty entered the room.

"What happened?"

"She fainted."

The doctor pulled a white screen around the settee and started to examine her.

"Are you in pain? Where? Head? Stomach?" he asked her after a few minutes "Do you feel any pressure on your chest?"

She couldn't talk. The thermometer was still stuck in her mouth, so she shook her head.

The doctor pulled the thermometer out of her mouth "Let's see…" he murmured. "You have a slight fever." He put the thermometer down on a small table on the side of the settee and proceeded to put on a stethoscope. The doctor pressed the cold chestpiece against her chest and then said "Can you cough for me?"

"I'm alright, it's not flu…" she tried to protest.

"I am the one who diagnoses people around here!" he interrupted her harshly, and she had no choice but to obey his command. She coughed and the clear sound must have convinced him because he took the stethoscope off her chest. He looked into her mouth to be certain but indeed it wasn't flu, she just knew it. "You look pale, you have a slight fever and an irregular pulse." He concluded "Are you sure you're not in pain?"

"I don't feel any pain. I'm just feeling dizzy."

"Can you see any stars in front of you?"

"Not any more. I'm just feeling so weak, everything began spinning around so quickly…"

"I see you are very slim, too slim perhaps…" He pointed out "Have you got morning sickness? Lack of appetite?"

"No. Why?" asked a shocked Candy.

"Some of these symptoms might appear when a woman is pregnant. I know, my wife has been through all this four times already." he added dryly.

"But Dr. Malloy…" she protested again, getting embarrassed "I'm not even married!"

He smirked. "People can manage this without a marriage, believe me."

"Not me! I've never…" she blushed and didn't finish the rest of the sentence.

But fortunately, the doctor understood the meaningful pause. "Alright," he nodded with acceptance, "I think we can leave it then. And don't get me wrong, it's a standard question when I'm examining women, because since most of them have stopped wearing corsets' and you can't blame the lack of the oxygen anymore, pregnancy is the most common reason for fainting. I will take a blood sample and send it to the lab to check."

"Can I go home after?"

"Not until I find out what is wrong with you." He replied firmly.

"But I'm fine now, really. I'm just so tired and sleepy…"

"Excuse me, doctor, but I've been wondering..." the Head Nurse interrupted. "I might be wrong, of course but… Candy, when was a last time you had a day off?"

"I think last Wednesday…"

"No, you volunteered for Abby when she got ill. How about the week before that?"

Candy thought for a second for she was unsure herself, then she replied: "Two weeks ago, on Friday..."

"Impossible!" The Head Nurse protested. "I was working on that day and I remember you were here too. And before that?"

"I can't remember now."

"You are right, Candy, I too can't remember." Doctor Malloy added. "I was wondering myself how is it possible that I see you here almost everyday but I thought we just happened to have the same shifts…"

"One moment, it's easy to check." The Head Nurse cut in again. She went over to the large desk set in the corner of the room and pulled a diary out from the top drawer and started to flip through the pages carefully. They could see how, the more pages she read, her eyes slowly began opening wider and wider. Finally, she shook her head, as if still in disbelief at whatever it was that she saw there. "Something must be wrong with my sight, that can't be right…" she flipped back a couple more pages and finally looked directly at the young nurse stretched out on the settee. "No, there's no mistake here… Except for your short holiday in August, you have been working almost every week without a break! And that goes months and months back! Candy, I didn't know you were taking on so many extra shifts!"

"But this is my job! I just want to be helpful!"

The Head Nurse's stone face softened a little. "I really appreciate your effort, believe me." she said "We do have a lot of work recently, but we are trying not to overload our nurses."

"But the patients are the most important in our job…" Candy tried to protest again through her weak voice.

"Exactly!" the doctor cut in. "What do you think would happen if one of you fainted while treating a patient? Or you were too tired to concentrate and ended up giving medication to the wrong person? Well?" he pressed, and regretful Candy bowed her head. "We are to serve indeed but we also cannot afford to forget about our own basic human needs like rest. If you want to take care of your patients properly, you have to take care of yourself first!" he perorated as he took her blood. "Head Nurse, you might be right… All these symptoms plus continual work and weight loss… Please, get Janice to take this to the lab," he handled a glass vial filled with Candy's blood to the woman, "Check it straight away for viruses. And, also notify them that I want them to use the Irons method *8*. That would clear our doubts. And I think we should also call her family and let them know why she's not going home yet, just in case if they worry."

"Of course, we have a phone number." she took another book from the drawer. "1103, Andr…"

"No!" shouted Candy. There was nobody in the mansion at the moment who she wanted to notify, least of all, Aunt Elroy. "If you must, please call 1259, Cornwell and ask for Archie."

"As you wish." The woman headed to the telephone which was situated on the top of the desk. Once there, she double checked the name and number and started to dial.

The doctor turned to Candy again and finished examining her. "I can't find anything else."

"Can I go then?" She said trying to sound cheerful.

"We will wait for the blood results, you stubborn person! If it comes back positive for anemia only, then, unless it is serious, I will let you go. But on one condition: get a proper rest and start eating properly! The problems with young women nowadays! They would starve themselves just to maintain a figure!"

"I don't starve myself!" protested Candy, buttoning up her uniform. "It's just… I don't have time to eat sometimes..."

"You have to always find enough time to do that! You won't survive on air. I want you to eat lots of iron and magnesium and that means red meat, fish and lots of vegetables." The doctor commanded dryly. "And don't work too much!"

"I will keep an eye on that." the Head Nurse said "It's my fault too, I didn't notice the frequent changes in the diary. From now on, changes will be confirmed by me only. Candy, your friends will be here in half an hour, at least this is what this young madman swore on the phone."

"That's good. Get some rest for now, Candy." the doctor told her. He then took the older woman to one side and out of earshot from Candy then he asked her "What madman are you talking about?"

"Oh, that Archie fellow she spoke about. It's probably her fiancée."

"Maybe. Or maybe he's just a friend."

He didn't want to scare the Head Nurse by telling her that she had just called Archibald Cornwell, one of the hospital donors, a madman!

O O O

It was a cold, rainy evening and nobody paid attention to the tall figure of a man running through the streets. He had in one hand, a travel bag. He also had an umbrella in his other but he didn't use it as it would have slowed him down. He didn't care about getting wet, about the rain. He didn't care about the deep puddles and the yelling of cabmen forced to stop as he dashed across the slippery wet road. He didn't care about anything, he only cared for just one purpose, and that purpose was getting to his destination. He didn't stop for anyone or anything, he just ran and ran and ran. A little while later, he had arrived. He opened the front door to one of houses near the park and disappeared inside.

"Annie, is Candy expecting anyone?" asked Archie when they heard the quiet but impatient knocking on the door.

"I don't know, maybe someone from the hospital?"

Archie's face showed doubt. "At this time?" he said, getting up. A moment later there was a fuss at the door and he led a completely soaked man inside. "Annie, look what the cat dragged in."

"Where is she?" the man uttered with concern, gasping for air.

"Nice to see you too." Archie said with a hint of playful sarcasm. "Calm down, she is in her bedroom, sleeping."

"What's wrong with her? The only thing they told me at the hospital was that she fainted in the morning. Is she ill?" the man asked anxiously.

"No, the doctor told us that she is just tired, with maybe the beginnings of anemia. How typical for her: she doesn't sleep enough, doesn't eat enough and works too much."

"Take that wet coat off." Annie interrupted. "It's dripping water everywhere. And what are you doing here anyway? We thought you were coming back on Wednesday!"

"We have dealt with all that we needed too and I decided to come back earlier." The man said as he began to take his coat off. "How long have you been here?"

"Since noon, they called us and we brought her here. "Archie explained. "She's been asleep since then."

Albert placed his palm on his nephew's shoulder. "Thanks. Go home now - I will take care of her. But do not mention this to anybody, _especially_ Aunt Elroy. If she knew, she would be here in no time and her complaints are the last thing I need now. Do you understand?" his blue eyes narrowed so much that Archie could barely see his pupils "You didn't see me!"

"You? How could I see you? You are in Detroit and not due back for another two days." Archie said as he made a face of pure innocence. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Let's go, Archie, she couldn't be in better hands." Annie interrupted again and firmly grasped her husbands arm. "Albert, here, you have the prescription from the doctor…"

After they left, he locked the door and went into the dark bedroom. As he didn't want to wake her up, Albert walked quietly and softly towards the bed. He stood for a while in the darkness and looked at her.

"Hi, sweetheart..." he whispered, gently stroking her pale cheek "I've missed you..."

It was only when he sat down on the bed that he realized his trousers and cardigan were also wet. He went back to the living room, where he had left his bag.

He had finished his business two days earlier than expected. And now that business was concluded, his first impulse was to surprise Candy at work so he packed a small travel bag and caught the first morning train. He had told George to enjoy himself with the two days that remained as everything had been paid for. The only thing that George had to do after the stay was to take the main luggage home.

Albert had taken only the most necessary of things, as he used to do when he was traveling as a youngster. Thanks to that, he now had some dry clothes.

It was a good thing that Archie had taken care of the fire earlier, at least it was nice and warm in the apartment. Now, the only thing _he_ had to do was to make sure that the temperature stayed at the same level for as long as it was necessary. During his previous visits he had noticed that Candy had coal burners in her bedroom and in the bathroom, but here, in the living room, there was an open fireplace. The logs were neatly piled in the niches on both sides of the hearth and he took a few of them and placed them in the middle of the flame. Albert took his wet clothes to the bathroom and wrung most of the water out. He came back out and placed his wet clothes onto a pair of chairs by the fire to dry, and that was when he heard a quiet moan coming from the bedroom.

"Where are you? Albert, where are you?"

_She is up… _he thought, smiling with relief, s_he must have heard my voice earlier…_ Within seconds, he was back at her side. But she wasn't awake as he had thought. She was still asleep, but it clearly wasn't a calm rest.

"Why did you leave me…" she moaned again.

_I was only away for a few weeks…_ he wondered. "Shhh, I'm back, I'm here now… It's just a bad dream…" he touched her face and to his shock, he suddenly realized that her forehead was burning. _She has a fever…!_

"Albert… Albert, where are you… Africa is so far away... I can't…"

The tears started to roll down the side of her face and then he understood; she wasn't talking about his recent trip at all. In her dream, once again she was going through the hell of the last year, when he wasn't here. He took her gently in his arms, feeling how limp her body was.

"No, Candy, I'm not in Africa, I'm here with you…" he murmured. "I'm here…"

Yes, he was here but in her dream, it must have been otherwise. "Don't leave me…" she whispered "Albert… Albert, come back! I need you so much!"

How much despair was contained in these whispers?

"I'm here, sweetheart… My little, brave sweetheart, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you, I promise." he kept saying into her ear, in the hope that she would eventually hear him. He rocked her and caressed her hair until she calmed again. _Is it the first time she has had such a dream, _he asked himself, _or, has it happened before?_

"Will you stay?" she murmured in a tiny, sleepy voice.

"I will, Candy, I will." He replied, kissing her forehead gently. "I will be right here. Now, sleep…"

He rested her head back on the pillow and left the bedroom. For the next few minutes he was busily bustling in the kitchen, preparing utensils and such, gathering towels, and then, there was the water; cold for the compress and hot, for a brew. Luckily Hannah didn't let her move out without a jar of mixed herbs that she always kept as a cure for fever.

He gently lifted her head and gave Candy the hot drink. She swallowed without even waking up.

He wasn't going to sleep this night. He sat in the armchair next to her bed, changing the compress on her forehead once in a while and noticing with relief as the fever gradually began to fade. Her dream filled him up with mixed emotions. On one hand, he was pleased he was always present in her thoughts, but on the other, he felt sad for the obvious pain he had caused her. And that wasn't what he had wanted; he never wanted to hurt her… He had gone to Africa thinking this might release them both, but… Annie's words were the first. Then, Candy herself told him in Lakewood what she had been through. Also George, asked directly while they were on the business trip, finally told him how Candy reacted to his farewell letter. George also confessed how, once Candy moved out, he had decided to take care of her on his behalf and although he was doing this very discreetly, he had enough occasions to witness her suffering. And the more she suffered, the more she tried to hide it. Again, so typical of her…

Yet, these were only stories. Today he saw her real pain, real, uncovered despair and longing; he was a witness in a world of her feelings when he was away from her… _Will you ever tell me what you really have been through, Candy, when I was gone?_ He thought with sadness. _How could I ever ask you without hurting you again?_

He never wanted to hurt her. But apparently, he did. And yet, if he never left, they might have never had this chance of discovering each other… not in this way…

It was going to be a very long night for him.

O O O

She tried to open her eyes but was still feeling a little groggy. She tried again, failed. Defeated, she laid there with her eyes closed. She had a blank space in her mind and very stiff muscles. She stretched like a cat and after a few moments later, she much felt better. Then it hit her. _What was that?_ Then it hit her again. She soon figured it out. A tremendous hunger had built up. She was hungry, but she's never been _this_ hungry before. With her eyes still closed, she felt a weird sensation that something else was also different than usual. Then she felt the bed bend under somebody's weight.

"Hi, Miss Trouble." she heard.

_That voice... _

"Albert...?" she mumbled, and with all the energy she could muster up, she half opened her eyes and said "What are you doing here?"

"I am checking the quality of your armchair."

"Arm... armchair…? No, I meant Chicago… I mean... aren't you supposed to be back in… How did you get in?" she murmured quickly. Apparently, even the drowsiness couldn't restrain her from asking many questions. "It must be evening, it's already dark…" she added, glancing at the window, "Have I really slept all day?"

"I came back earlier. Archie let me in. And it's not _already_ dark; it's _still_ dark." he explained patiently. She had no idea what he meant and her face must have shown this lack of understanding because he smiled. But there was something else beyond this patient smile, she could swear, he was looking at her strikingly carefully and she had no idea what was the reason behind it. "It's seven, but not in the evening. It's 7_am_," he pointed out and she couldn't help but gasp in surprise, "it's almost dawn. You were asleep for nearly twenty hours."

"Twenty hours?" she repeated disbelievingly and quickly rubbed her still sleepy face. "Gosh, no wonder why I feel so hungry! Twenty hours…" she repeated again, but this time quieter, more thoughtfully, wondering at something. Annie and Archie brought her home shortly after midday and she was simply dragged to her bed, she thought. He must have arrived at any time while she was passed out, she had no idea when, for she had been sleeping right until now. She glanced at Albert's face and noticed the tiredness he was trying to hide behind his smile. Now she understood his careful gaze. He must have spent many hours watching over her, wondering, worrying… A wave of predilection flooded her, wiping all the remaining drowsiness from her body. "So…you were here all this time?" she more stated than asked.

"Actually, I've been here only since yesterday evening."

Still, he spent a night watching over her… She smiled with thankfulness and reached for his hand. And he surely understood because he smiled back, with acknowledgement. Words really weren't necessary. The sense of understanding between them was truly beyond that. Only a smile and the touch of a hand… and it felt so wonderful that the world was colorful again. He was back and only that mattered, she thought, sitting up, with a little help of his hand. He was back… and she was in a total mess, she realized, once she laid her eyes on her attire. She hung her head. _Why?,_ _why?_, cried something within her, why is it that almost every time she wanted to look attractive for him, there was always something to counteract that. Rumbling stomachs, the railings on the stairs that she loudly fell off from, the rain that made her look like a wet, pitiful kitten or messy hair and creased nightgowns! Oh well, immediately replied her happier self, it's better to simply laugh at all of this…

"All wrong again." She said honestly, pouting her lips. "This is really far from the way I wanted to greet you…"

Albert felt surprised by her sudden change of subject but managed to keep a straight face. It was a good sign that she was in such a good mood. _No, maybe one day there will be a better time to ask her about her dreams, _he thought, deciding to push his worries aside for the while. He wasn't going to spoil the nice, even though quite unusual greeting."What, have you planned champagne and fireworks?" he cut in smoothly with a facetious riposte.

And she didn't disappoint him. "Nah, nothing like that… just a dozen or so of banners and a greeting committee at the train station…" she joined in on his joke, trying to remain serious. But her lips trembled from trying to restrain a smile that had betrayed her.

"…and maybe also the press conference the following evening?" he finished with a wicked grin. "No, thanks, I haven't been doing anything else for the last month."

He noticed how she bit the corner of her lower lip, clearly wondering if she should add something more. And finally, she decided. "I could have also waited at home, like you wanted…" she murmured coquettishly, "…and greet you at the door, screaming out of joy and jumping into your arms…"

Well, he knew the first part was a part of the plan but hearing the latter part, about what _she _intended… Well, that was a nice surprise! "Is that what you wanted to do?" he asked her teasingly.

"It _was." _she shrugged. "Too late now, you are already here."

"It's never too late for that. Come here." he opened his arms and she hugged him tightly, hungrily and he replied likewise, expressing silently all his longing. _Not bad, she seems stronger compared to last night,_ he noticed. "Now, tell me, Miss Trouble, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she sighed, "just a little dizzy. But I think it's just a… hunger. I mean… I haven't eaten since yesterday morning and…"

"Okay then, that is something I can definitely help with." he decided then let go of her to stand up. "Stay in bed and I will get you a breakfast."

"Hey, I am dying to eat something but I'm not ill." she protested. "I can get up, you know?"

And these few words were enough to tickle that self-control he once was so proud of. "I knew it! I knew I should have pinned your ears back when I had a chance! I still can!" he warned quite seriously. "Candy, yesterday you fainted out of exhaustion!" he added, frowning. "And you had a fever last night."

Candy's face was now a picture of total surprise, puzzlement and disbelief. "A fever? Really?" she asked with a tiny, humble voice "Where was I when all this happened, on the Moon?" She smiled flippantly. "The last thing I remember is a giant cup of cocoa from Annie and the rest of it is like a black hole."

_So she probably doesn't remember her dream either! That's good, _he thought with a slight relief. But he still had to deal with her flippancy whether it was acted or real. "Stop making it look like as if it wasn't important!" he warned again. "The thing I would want the most now is to take you back to the mansion and make sure you are eating and resting properly. But I guess you are not going anywhere?" he added, noticing how she had backed off a little and raised her hands as if defending herself from something "Then I'm also going to stay here tonight, to make sure you're okay. For now you are to stay in bed until I bring breakfast to you. And it's not up for discussion!" he commanded a little more harshly than he had intended.

"Okay." she said, giving up, "I'm hungry like a wolf in winter!"

Still not believing a hundred percent by her sudden compliance, Albert went to the kitchen. It wasn't even a minute before he came back with a tray loaded with a meal.

"That was quick!" She sighed, making a face again. "Are you, on the top of everything, a magician?"

"I wish I was but there was no magic involved in that, I'm afraid. I prepared everything earlier, when I had my breakfast." he explained, placing the tray on her lap. "Bon Appetite."

Candy peered into her cup, took a small sip and suddenly a very sweet smile appeared on her lips. "Albert…" she began with a pleading tone, "Since you decided to pamper me with the breakfast served _in bed_, would you do something more for me?"

Her voice was even sweeter than her smile and altogether it was way too sweet for a normal request, he just knew it. He didn't know how, it didn't sound like her but he just knew it. _The exhaustion? The fever she had last night? Never mind that! _He said sarcastically in his thoughts. _She might kindly c o n s i d e r staying in bed but here are her conditions… _

"I'm terrified to even inquire what that would be." he replied dryly.

"I still have a hospital smell all over me… And my hair is in a mess too…" she stroked through her blond curls, and indeed, it looked like a massive messy tangled halo. "I won't be myself unless I take a bath… Would you prepare it for me?" she chirped, cocked her head to one side, smiled and batted her eyelids.

"A bath right in the morning?" he rolled his eyes as if in great annoyance but deep inside his mind he pictured himself collapsing on the floor and laughing helplessly at her cunning. _Here we go_, he thought, _so much for her obedience… She would do just everything to not stay in bed, little rascal…like she knew that I'm incapable of denying her anything in her current state… _he added, cursing his own weakness._ And if I do deny her anything, she will surely think of something more devious. Oh, well, looks like she is really getting better… I will watch over her anyway…_

"Is there something wrong with taking a bath at this time of the day?" Candy asked ingratiatingly.

"Oh no, it's not a big deal…" He got up and headed for the door, still pretending to complain, "Only that I was going to spoil you all day long but at this speed I will give up the ghost even before dinner!"

And, just as he expected, Candy proved to have more wind in her sails. "And don't forget the sandalwood oil!" he heard her giggle from behind. "And that gorgeous liquid bath soap! I love bubbles!"

He left the bedroom, shaking his head. _Incorrigible, _he smiled hopelessly. _Just incorrigible…_

O O O

Candy held her breath and sunk beneath the surface to rinse her hair. She bought this bath tub from one of those modern catalog companies. It was a huge, iron cast, white glazed tub that stood on four legs, taking up most of the space in her washing room, but she loved it, she could stretch in it completely. Oh, she loved those moments when she had enough time to take a bath! She could relax completely and forget about the entire world… and dream… Like now…dream… dream… dream… An entire day… with him… with him… with him…

"Candy… Candy!" A voice resounded under the water which sounded weirdly similar to the one that belonged to the object of her dreams. No, she realized, snapping out of her thoughts, it wasn't a part of her daydream, it was really _his _voice! She could hear it so clearly as if he was standing right next to her! She quickly raised her head above the surface. No, the bathroom was empty; he must have been standing right behind the door then. "Is everything all right?" he said.

"Yes… why?" she asked, wiping away the soapy bubbles from her face.

"I don't mind you being there for over an hour, but it was too quiet in there. Do what you want, talk to yourself, sing, but I want to hear you."

"But why?" she insisted, now with a mischievous smile, well knowing the answer. He made it very clear before she entered the bathroom, no, correction, before she was _carried _into the bathroom, but now she just couldn't resist teasing him.

"Because you could easily faint again in such hot water, silly." he explained patiently once again. "I want to hear you to be sure that everything is fine."

"But I _am_ fine, really…" she tried protesting pro forma.

"Do you _really_ want me to step in there and stand like a guard above you, until you finish?" the tone of his voice suggested now that his patience was wearing thin.

"Alright, alright," she giggled, "I will do as you say… But in case your ears go numb, remember, _you_ wanted it…"

The bathroom filled up with her not so clear voice when she started to sing some absurd song about bananas. Albert smiled, amused, he went and sat back down on the sofa to finish the newspaper and his morning coffee. For one moment, it felt like when they were both back and living in the apartment on the outskirts of Chicago. _I'd give everything to come back to that time, Candy… To that carefree time before I regained my memory, when there was only us both, you and me and no dark clouds above us…_

He knew though he was just lying to himself. There were some dark clouds back then… people gossiping about them, living under one roof without being married, her stubbornness and notorious keeping of her problems to herself, his own family harassing her and his inability to help her… and the biggest of all the clouds, the one called Terry… It hadn't been easy for him to watch her getting excited when she read letters from her beloved, or being enchanted to see Terry again. He was so hurt seeing her despair after her life had been crushed in New York! At that time she had already meant to him something more than just a friend but he had doubted he could ever tell her about this, she wasn't ready for such news… He was hoping that maybe she will get over the break up with Terry and let life go on. But she couldn't forget and he couldn't understand why… until he had finally regained his memory. He remembered that he had understood the power of the bond between two youngsters back in London, when they were just students. She couldn't see it, she was so young and naïve but he saw it all and understood… Once this was known, he lost his hopes even quicker than before. _Will she ever forget about Terry,_ it had haunted him over and over again, back then. And so it had been for another four years…

No, he didn't want to go back to the past. They were here now, in the present and he finally had his chance. He was determined to do everything it would take to truly and fully capture her heart. Her heart, and later, the rest of her… The very magnificently scrumptious rest of her, he added automatically. The view of her at the lake had been haunting him ever since Lakewood and now he had quite a hard time pushing certain images out of his mind. But the image of her that day kept creeping back in, again and again, tempting, tantalizing, teasing… _She is so close, just there, behind that door…_ a little voice in his mind whispered soothingly. Yes, she was close… So close in fact, all he had to do was just walk up to that door and have a little sneaky peek through the narrow gap… _No! Stop that!_ _Too late, I just have to!_ Anyway, he had managed to convince himself that it was time for him to check up on her again as the noises coming from the bathroom had stopped altogether…

"What are you reading?" he heard. His heart stopped racing and started jumping as his eyes widened in shock. The image of the half naked beauty in the bathroom melted away quicker than a knob of butter in a hot pan. He realized that the very same beauty was sitting right next to him, very much real and very much dressed... much to both his relief and disappointment. _How could I not have noticed that she came out of the bathroom already? Was it her being so quiet or me, going deaf when I'm lost in thought? _he wondered, glancing at her briefly. She was still a bit pale but with the usual sparkle in her eyes and waves of her wet hair dangled above her shoulders.

"The news from yesterday." he replied lightly, taking a sip of his forgotten coffee. He realized immediately why he didn't notice her presence right away. He was completely lost in his daydream, staring blankly at the same page. It must have been for some time as well because his hot coffee was now completely cold. He put the cup back on the table. "I bought it at the station yesterday but didn't have time to read it." He said, still pretending to be engrossed in the newspaper.

Candy flung her head back, unwittingly exposing her neck. He noticed this out of the corner of his eye. Then all of a sudden, as if she was reaching for the ceiling, she stretched her arms out. She stretched and stretched. Albert looked at her again but this time not as briefly, as he initially wanted. Her movements had made the neck-opening of her bathroom gown widen just a little, and that revealed way too much of her light creamy skin. Her light, creamy, smooth and soft skin. What was supposed to be a brief glance became a long, bold, trancelike stare. And stare he did. A drop of water dripped from a few strands of still wet hair on her shoulder and followed the path of her collarbone, towards the center of her chest. His eyes followed the drip as it dripped its way slowly down, and down, decreasing in size the further it got. Until eventually, it dissipated somewhere between her cleavage. Her as yet, forbidden cleavage. It was a few seconds before he realized what he was doing. He coughed and quickly turned his head away. "I feel like a new born baby!" she smiled, still stretching and surely completely unaware of his thoughts or what he had seen. "I slept for an eternity, I've just taken a wonderfully decadent bath and now, I'm so ready for anything!"

"Sure you are." he said dryly to chill her. Or was it maybe for himself? Yes, that was more likely to be true. "Today you are resting."

"But you are not going to force me to stay in bed all day, are you?" she asked with disapproval and picked up the hairbrush from her lap.

"Feel free for now but I might change my mind later on." He warned facetiously "But, if I decide that it's necessary for you to rest, I will even tie you to your bed to keep you there." The next second he realized how equivocal that sounded and noisily turned another page to distract her. Luckily she didn't notice anything, already busy struggling with her hair, he could hear her angry murmurs. "What are you babbling there, Candy?" he asked innocently from behind the newspaper.

"Oh, no, nothing… it's just my hair… It tangles all the time…"

"It's because you're too impatient. Let me…" he said putting the newspaper down quickly, way too quickly. _Albert, calm down, you are a grown man and you act like a teenager who has never been alone in a woman's presence before! _He thought, taking the hairbrush from her hand. _And damn, I feel like one! _He added, sitting behind her back. When he gently parted every wisp, he couldn't help his movements becoming softer and slower, much slower than required for a regular brushing. But she didn't protest. "Truly, you have a lion's mane…" he teased, trying to lighten the tension a little.

"And it's truly hard to maintain." she said. "You are right, I'm too impatient. I think I'm going to finally cut it…"

"Candy, please don't… Your hair is so pretty…" before he could stop himself, his fingers plunged deep into her long locks and gently stroked her neck. "…so lovely and feminine…" he added, a little afraid of what her reaction might be. Yet again, not a word of complaint passed her lips.

Candy sat in silence, biting the bottom right corner of her lower lip. The simple act of having her hair brushed felt so intimate… She felt so light, so relaxed and safe… And now, as he was gently massaging her neck, a well known wave of warmth and pleasure washed over her body. His gestures were making her nearly growl. She still wasn't feeling confident enough with him to show him that openly but to the contrary she wasn't afraid at all to admit to herself that she likes his touch. Oh, she liked it very much! _Isn't that weird…_ she thought ..._there was a time when I wouldn't allow myself even a thought of him touching me this way, I wouldn't even guess how much pleasure it could have given me… Albert, I feel so good with you, so safe, so yours… You have revived in me the powers I had thought was dead… You woke in me even more than I had imagined… _

"I see that Dr. Albert's extra special therapy is working."

"What… therapy?" the girl's voice sounded befuddled. Albert smiled when he realized why.

"I mean the therapy of restoring some colors on your cheeks." he said, watching her face carefully. She touched her cheeks with her palms and finally noticed that they were burning. And so was her neck. Remembering her new tendency to get shy he understood that she might be embarrassed now and so he felt it wasn't right to make anymore comments. Yet, he sensed something more in her and that felt very much like…no, he couldn't really name it at this point.

And indeed, she looked at him bashfully from behind her shoulder. At least it seemed to him like a shy look. He could see how she hesitated, as if fighting herself and finally, blushing even more intensively, she said "Well, if this treatment was so efficient, Dr. Albert, I'm afraid to surmise what else you might have planned…"

No, she wasn't as shy as he had thought. "I have a few ideas…" he said with a grin. His hands blindly found their way around her waist and he drew her closer so that her back touched his chest. For a moment they looked deep into each others eyes and he could feel her breath quicken, a clear sign of her anticipation of what was coming. Finally, when he could resist no longer, he sealed her lips with a soft kiss. And before he even realized, her hand snaked along his shoulder, then onto his neck and ended up in his hair. No, she definitely wasn't as shy as he thought she was! Her eagerness pleased him to no end and he felt his inner furnace, his inner heat rapidly increasing, especially with her wet curls, touching his cheek, and with the touch of her eager lips, and with her sweet breath, meeting his… and with her skin, smelling so fresh and warm to his nostrils. He found himself wanting to touch it, to check if this creamy skin was really as soft and as smooth as his eyes were telling him… Just to make sure, of course, nothing more…

And just as he realized that his hands were about to slip beneath the folds of her bathroom gown, he backed off a little. That's how little he needed to lose himself in her! Just a simple kiss! He had almost lost it completely back then in Lakewood, and now here, he wasn't very far off from doing the same thing. No, it didn't feel right. At the end of the day, she was some kind of patient today, recovering after a high fever caused by the many months of lasting exhaustion, he couldn't just let his lust to take over and kiss her as if there was no tomorrow, could he? It would be like taking advantage of her weakness, wouldn't it? This thought made it easier to slow everything down. "We are not in a hurry to go anywhere, sweetheart..." he whispered with his lips still locked on hers. "Just relax and fly... I just want to taste you..."

It seemed impossible to him before but he managed to push off his inner need and now his hands only held her, without demanding anything more. His lips gently drank the sweetness of hers and he was really surprised to experience more and more joy in this slow exploration. Upper lip… then bottom lip… then both… then a smooth, short journey for his tongue to the corner of her lips, just to place another light, brief kiss… then, again… Just a light, lazy touch, entwining their lips in a slow, sweet dance, over and over again, just enough for him to keep him feeling so wonderfully dizzy…

He noticed how she gave herself fully, breathed normally and just trustfully rested herself in the niche of his left arm. "You can try too, if you want…" he offered.

She joined in his game, immediately copying his technique. And again, he was surprised how immediately; she raised herself, turned slightly towards him and with one smooth gesture, she pushed him down gently until his back rested on the back of the sofa. This time he himself gave in fully, letting her take control. There were few women in his life before but he never let any of them get this close; she was the only one, although unaware, able to touch even the most delicate of strings in his soul… He felt himself nearly melting under the light caresses of her curious mouth. But finally though, when he felt the tip of her tongue playfully touching the corner of his lips, he decided to end this tempting game. Sitting up, he drew her closer again and firmly deepened their kiss. But he didn't try to rush and he wasn't even certain who led whom. They just freed themselves.

When they finally broke the kiss, Albert slowly opened his eyes. The view that greeted his eyes was much rewarding; Candy's lips were slightly swollen from their kiss and sensually parted and her eyes were closed, as if she was still dreaming and didn't want to let go of this sweet dream. He raised one hand and stroked her reddened cheek. "Did you miss me?" he asked. It was the question he had meant to ask in the morning but now is sounded completely different; huskily, teasingly and promisingly. Candy nodded slowly like an inebriated wino. "And that?" he added, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb.

She smiled dreamily as a reply. Her eyelids opened, revealing two glazed emeralds, the perfect finish to a charming picture of a woman who is pleased by her man's kiss. "Do you really need to ask?" she sighed and lazily closed her eyes again. "Oh my, I really feel like I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar!"

Albert chuckled noiselessly. "I told you that I will teach you how to fly…"

"And you did" Candy sighed again, "but I have a dilemma now…"

"Dilemma?"

"Every time we see each other you kiss me differently… I can't decide which way I like the most!"

Oh, he could help her to decide, definitely… one day… "It's just the beginning, Candy." Albert lowered his head, only to kiss softly the girl's cheek. "I promised, didn't I?"

O O O

The rain was teeming down and wasn't simply going to just stop. It had started drizzling sometime yesterday afternoon, and gradually got heavier. Now, in the afternoon of the next day it was still pouring down from heavens, on and off. _If it continued, it might even flood the city, _Albert thought, folding his umbrella. The bags filled to the brim with shopping he had got for her had managed to survive the onslaught from the rain, but he wasn't so lucky, he was thoroughly soaked, again.

Candy must have predicted this because as soon as he came in, she led him straight to the bathroom. The towels and his bag were already waiting for him there. "Leave your clothes in a bathtub for now." she said to him as he started to change into a dry shirt and trousers.

Albert only smiled. _Some things never change,_ he thought. _That's exactly how she used take care of our wet clothes when we shared the apartment…_

When he came out, Candy was carrying the last shopping bag into the kitchen. He gave her a disapproving look, silently wagged his finger and took the bag from her.

"Where have you been?" she reprimanded him facetiously as they entered the kitchen.

"What…" he grinned, "…three hours and you missed me already?"

"No…" she snapped back with a similar grin, "I just thought that you had gotten lost somewhere in the city…"

"Oh well," he sighed deeply, as if with a great disappointment. He hung his head down to the ground and added: "she wouldn't miss me unless I was gone for over a month…"

Candy interrupted him, chuckling quietly. "No, but seriously…" she insisted as they proceeded to take the items out of the bags and place them on the table, "…I see you got some beef and there are no butcher shops nearby."

"According to Bertha's statements, the best meat market in Chicago is on Blue Island Avenue." he replied. "And that's where I went to test her theory."

"But you didn't have to buy so much! It looks like I have enough supplies here to last me for a year!"

"And when was the last time you refilled your larder properly, huh?" he asked. "From now on I'm going to personally make sure that you are taking care of yourself properly. End of topic. I'm in charge now and there's nothing you can do about it."

The look she gave him was absolutely priceless!

He managed to restrain himself from even smiling at the view of her face and turned again to face the table to finish unpacking. He knew it! Sooner or later he could expect her to do something, to show him what she thought of his statement about him being in charge! He could see it in her eyes, her inner fire buzzing within her, trying to come up with a riposte. It was a very pleasant sensation to know that that was her reaction to his challenge. It was really nice to see her, acting this way again. It felt like the years of a mournful Candy were gone and the old, the incorrigible and the very, very independent Candy was back. Since their short stay in Lakewood that summer, this change in her has become more apparent. Apparently, the past year wasn't only a year of suffering. It was also a year of getting used to living on her own again and not being obligated to anybody but herself. And he liked this change very much. But she could be the most independent woman on this planet and ignore everyone else's commands; he didn't care. He was her 'alpha male' now, he thought with a mischievous smile and he wasn't going to step down, at the very least, when it came to taking care of her. This need was almost organic, primal.

The unpacked products piled high on the kitchen table and there were only a few other items left in the bag when suddenly Candy stopped and sniffed. "Salmon… I can smell smoked salmon!" Before he could stop her, she quickly pulled out a long package from the bottom of the bag. The fish was wrapped up in thick, brown paper. Within a blink of an eye, the package was torn open and she sampled a piece of the delicious red fish.

He should have predicted that she would never have waited too long to manifest her independence, no matter in what weird and wondrous ways!

"Oy!" he yelled, pretending to be enraged. Anything was better than laughing and completely losing all authority he had just mentioned! "How dare you steal, you little thief!"

Candy poked her tongue out and made a face as he pulled her away from the table.

"Oh, come on, you know I love smoked salmon!"

Oh, yes, he remembered that well!

"Out!" He commanded.

"Come on, I can help with something…" she tried to maneuver her way towards the table again but he stood firmly in her way.

"...and eat everything before I even start cooking?" he cut in. "No way! For the next hour, I, William Albert Andrew, pronounce myself The Defender of the Smoked Salmon. And anyway…" he frowned, still barely able to contain his laughter, "…aren't you supposed to be the one being pampered today?"

"I can't just sit all day and do nothing!" she argued.

"Oh yes, you can. And now, out of the kitchen! Go and check if you are in the living room." he grabbed the laughing girl by the arm again and led her out of the kitchen. "The only thing I'm allowing you to do is to clean up this mess on the table." he added, pointing to the dinning area "We have to eat somewhere."

"What mess?" she protested childishly. "These are my books, I study here! It's the only table big enough."

"And you eat in the kitchen?"

"It's easier…"

Albert replied only with raising his eyebrows and silently backed out of the living room. And only when he had finally locked himself in the kitchen, he sat down on the floor and leaned his back to the door. He just couldn't hold it in anymore and ever so quietly, he burst out laughing. Oh dear, it was unbelievable how amusing he found this girl! It really felt like the incorrigible and charming Candy was back. Only now she was older and… oh well, at this moment he really didn't want to dwell too much again about the influence this older Candy had on him…

Candy wasn't going to limit her work just to cleaning the table. She prepared the cutlery and put a few more logs into the fireplace to make sure it would be warm enough. She also tried to sneak back into the kitchen on a few occasions, just to see his reaction. Albert busied himself in there, whistling something or another, and every time he saw her poke her head through, he just quietly pointed to the door. But the tune he whistled trembled suspiciously and she was right in guessing that he was trying not to smile.

When he finally served the dinner, her eyes shone at the gastronomical delights laid out before her. He had prepared a simple potato puree with herbs, thin beef steaks in sweet beetroot sauce, green salad with freshly fried cashew nuts, and her favorite, smoked salmon with mixed herbs and slightly drizzled with fresh lemon juice. A simple dinner, but oh, he knew what she liked!

They laughed and joked for the rest of the day and it was only in the early evening when he made her go to bed again. "There will be enough time to talk." he said, "I'm going back home tomorrow and I want to make sure you get enough sleep tonight. Sometimes you really need to have a whip above you!" She didn't protest much, she felt tremendous somnolence invading her and her bed drew her in like a magnet. After she drank her favorite hot chocolate, she listened for a while to the sounds coming from the living room and the kitchen but soon, they melted into the soft, sweet darkness of a dream.

When she opened her eyes again it was dark. She glanced at the clock; it was three in the morning. She realized that, despite the howling wind, what actually woke her up was the cold. She walked to the window and couldn't believe her eyes; the windows were covered with a thick layer of ice and only the movement of the curtains told her how strong the wind was outside.

She was about to go back to bed, when she remembered something. _If I am feeling cold, then he…_

Without wasting a single second, she ran to the living room and knelt next to the sofa. Albert was asleep, covered with a blanket, but even in the darkness she could see that he was shaking.

"Albert… Albert, wake up… Albert!" she shouted, shaking his arm. "Do you hear me, wake up!"

He opened his eyes slowly. "Candy… what are you… doing here..." he moaned.

"You can't stay here, it's too cold. Get up and come to my bed."

"No… I shouldn't…"

"Don't be silly. I don't have any more duvets and you are already shivering badly."

"I…will…be…fine." he uttered through his chattering teeth.

"And who is more stubborn now, me or you? Get up now or I will drag you there!" she yelled and firmly grabbed his forearm.

Albert didn't protest anymore. He stood up and let her take him to the bedroom. He lay down submissively and wasting no time, she covered him with her still warm duvet.

"Why is it so cold?" he murmured.

Oh, she knew why. Exactly the same happened to her last year, before she learnt all the secrets of her fire place. "First, it's terribly windy outside; I reckon there's a storm on the lake." she explained quickly. "That, plus the sudden frost probably sucked all the warm air from the apartment. There is a ventilator in a fire place that needs to be closed for the night… Silly me, I forgot to tell you…" She turned and ran quickly to the living room to fix her fault. When she came back, she jumped into the bed with a sigh of a relief. She turned to find a comfortable position and in doing so, felt Albert's cold hands. "Albert, you are really freezing! I have to make you something hot to drink!"

"No…" he protested "don't get up… You will get cold too..."

"But I have to warm you up, don't you understand? Oh gosh, no…" she shook her head, "it won't work. Even if I lit the fire now it would take ages to gain a temperature hot enough… Oh my, we have no choice…" she sighed "…come here and let me warm you. That's the quickest way."

He didn't resist, his instinct made him simply search for her warm body. She put her arm around him and let him hide his face on the arch of her neck. She was so much tinier than him but she was doing everything she could to give him all her warmth, she rubbed his back and arm. She hesitated for a second but decided to also entwine her legs with his. By touch alone, she knew that he wore one of his silk pyjamas, not really adequate for this time of the year. _Hey, what did you expect, he came straight from a luxurious hotel…_ she thought. Deep inside, she felt really pleased that she could finally take care of him too, even if it was just a tiny thing. _Maybe he was right… Looks like I really have to take care of someone to feel truly myself…_

The minutes passed and his shivers slowly but surely, began to fade. However, she didn't say a word. Maybe she _was_ exhausted, but not ill, not in the slightest, certainly not enough to dispel the fact that she was here with him, separated from his naked body only by a thin piece of fabric. She had been in his arms so many times before, yet, it had never been this way, even since they decided to give each other a chance. For the first time in her life his body was in such an intimate embrace with hers that she could feel his hard muscles moving slightly under his skin, his strong thigh between her knees… It felt both scary and exciting, wrapping her with a wave of almost painful desire and she didn't dare to move, not even to open her eyes, afraid he might realize what kind of influence his closeness had on her. He noticed it anyway. Was it her shallow breath or her raging pulse, she didn't know. What she did know was that he noticed. For a brief moment he pressed his body against hers and his breath tickled her neck when his lips wandered onto her skin… then he slowly raised his head… but the expected kiss didn't happen.

"Candy, let go of me, please…" she heard his voice, now slightly hoarse. She opened her eyes and looked at him dismayed as he gently moved away from her arms. "There's nothing I would like to do more than that…" he continued with a low voice, touching her lips with the finger "…but if I kiss you _now _I won't be able to stop there… and I will do something I'm not supposed to. Do you know what I mean?"

She understood him. Underneath the external layer of a playful and teasing Albert, there was another one, a darker one which hid just beneath, the one waking up the hot lava in her veins. This Albert had wild flames in his eyes, the same look he had during that thunderstorm in Lakewood...

"I do." she managed to whisper, "We have time, don't we?"

_It sounds like a promise..._ he thought, clenching his teeth, _Candy, if you only knew how hard it was for me to leave your arms… Just how easily I could lose myself in you! If I could only tell you about the fire, the passion, that burns inside me! I want so much to become your teacher again and show you that world of physical love… I think you want that too, I saw it in your eyes… but desire isn't everything. I don't want to just possess your body; first I want to be sure that I fully have your heart. If I ever make you mine it would be after you have made sure you want me forever! _

"Yes, Candy, we have time." he replied "Plenty of time. We are not in a hurry anywhere and with anything. I don't want to do anything that might hurt you."

"I know. I just want you to remember that you don't have to protect me from everything. I'm not a little girl."

Albert sighed quietly and moved away further, yet, still looking in her eyes. "And that's exactly the problem, Candy. You indeed are not a little girl anymore; you are a woman, a beautiful and sensual young woman. And I am a man. All this between us is unique, because we've known each other for so long and we've always been close. Because of that, it can create an illusion and tempt us to skip some stages, but I don't want to do that. I don't want to force you to do anything too early.

"You are not doing anything against my will!" she protested. "Never think you can force me to do something I don't want to do! Besides, _I_ dragged you here!" she added impulsively.

She didn't really get his point but for some reason her last statement made him laugh. "Yes, in this case we could say _you _were the one who dragged me into bed."

And then she understood the double entendre of her own words. "Let's leave it, okay? You better tell me why you are wearing a silk pyjama in October!" she tried to change the subject to hide her embarrassment.

"You know, I didn't plan on any stops, I took only one set of spare clothes, just in case. Before I went to bed I wanted to wear my jumper on top, but I couldn't, it was still wet… How about you?" he snapped back, a little irritated. "Aren't you rich enough to buy more than just one duvet?"

"Why would I need more than one? Do you see a crowd of guests here?"

He sighed with resignation and lay his head back down on the pillow away from her, trying the best he could to relax his tensed muscles. Somehow he managed. The warmth of the duvet helped too. The weariness of the last two days snuck up on him and before he knew it, he felt drowsy again. He was almost asleep when he heard her, whispering his name. "What is it now?" he murmured.

"Albert... would that be too much if I asked you to hold my hand? I just want to feel you are near me…" she pleaded quietly.

He clenched his eyes and smiled helplessly in the darkness. "_That_ I think I can withstand…"

O O O

Oddly, Candy woke up first. _Not that bad, it's only nine..._ she thought, looking at the clock.

She got up quietly and went to the window. The morning after the stormy night was surprisingly sunny. It was still windy but much, much calmer. Now, in the morning sun, she could see the damage the storm had done overnight. As far as she could see, from her window, there were lots of broken branches covering the icy paths that webbed all over the park. She also spotted a tree that had been snapped in half like a twig. The bottom half of the tree was still firmly planted to the ground, while the top half lay upside down, only a small strip of bark held the two together. _I hope nobody got hurt on the lake…_she thought, a little worried._ It's easier to get away from the storm on the open sea than on the narrow fairway of Lake Michigan…_

She went back to the bed, sat on it and stretched her hand to gently shake Albert's arm. Something made her stop. _No,_ she thought, _I will let him sleep longer. At the end of the day, he was up for the entire previous night…_

Instead of waking him up, she just sat quietly and contemplated on the sleeping man's face for a moment. His skin still carried the last hints of that characteristic, beautiful, tropical suntan he had gained in Africa. His forehead, usually slightly wrinkled, was now smoothened by a dream he was probably having. She glanced at his two dark eyebrows. _They look like some wild bird's wings… _she thought. _I never noticed that… Usually he is focused, a little frown on his face, even when smiling, but now, asleep and relaxed, he looks different and I can see their real shape..._ _they are proudly raising high above his eyes and then, curving towards his temples… They really look like wings…_

Her sight hung for a moment on his eyes, now covered with eyelids. Again, she was surprised to discover a difference in detail she thought she knew. His eyelashes, long enough to cast a shadow on his cheeks weren't black as she always thought; they had a colour of dark chocolate. _How did I miss that? _she wondered. _I thought I knew his face so well, that when I close my eyes and see it before me… I've never seen it as clearly as I do now. Why does it feel so fascinating now? Why does it make me watch him so closely? Why do I feel this way? How can it possibly feel so wonderful?_

Albert's facial expression changed slightly but what drew her attention were his lips, now curled into a crescent smile, so typical for him recently. That was another detail she found new and it worth discovering. She knew the contours of those lips, but before last summer, had never thought of their softness. She knew the way those lips could widen in a dazzling, mocking, thoughtful, sad or even a bitter smile, but before last summer, she never thought of their taste, never knew the firmness they could caress her own lips with…

Candy shook her head as she suddenly found herself bending over in an attempt to kiss the sleeping man. _What am I doing? _she thought. _We are together and we spent a night in the same bed but I can't just blatantly kiss him in the morning! I can't act like his lover… or wife… Oh God, what am I thinking of? Lover…? Wife...? _she blushed violently at the thought. It wasn't unpleasant though, oh, no! She shook her head again to regain her focus. _Anyway, that is just not right, it's just not right, not right, not right… _She kept repeating.

She straightened up, but her gaze still hung on the man's lips. She felt almost hypnotized by this view. Those lips… oh, she couldn't believe how much pleasure they have given her already! And she could only try to guess at how much more they were capable of. Last night… last night those lips were touching her neck. It was a touch as light as a butterfly wing and lasted only a brief moment but it was enough to give her a tiny hint of how a full touch would feel like. Even now, the memory of it made her heart pound crazily.

It was due to her own carelessness that had led them last night to touch on something that seemed to be a fiery and dangerous thing. They tasted something that belonged to the life of married couples. And yet, she wasn't feeling guilty about it. It was scary, yet, exciting at the same time. She was taught to think of such things as indecent, yet, she found it wonderful. And she suddenly realized why. It wouldn't feel the same way with just _anybody_; it felt so good because it was _him_.

She wondered for a moment at the meaning of this thought. _Is it normal, _she asked herself, _to let myself get drawn in so quickly to him, drawn in physically, even if it is… him? Isn't it a little careless of me to dive into this without taking a deep breath? Am I running too fast?_

_But I trust him, _said the other voice in her mind. _And I know for a fact that if he thought that we were going in the wrong direction, he would have stopped me. He stopped us last night…_

Yes, he did. She fully realized now how close to the edge they were last night. If it wasn't for him, for the effort that he surely put into regaining control over the situation, one step further and they would have probably…

Candy shook her head again. Again, she had proof of how she underestimated him previously. From what she heard from her female friends, from what she had learnt from her own observations over the years, she knew enough about men to presume that many of them would just let their lust take over. Albert was thinking of her, always for her sake, first and foremost.

_He is such a marvellous man, _she thought. _The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced that it wasn't him who was supposed to be asking for a chance of us being together. It should have been me. I should have been the one asking, no, not asking, begging for a chance. Sometimes I really feel unworthy of him… But I will do everything this time to show him how I appreciate what he does for me. I won't mess it up this time!_

She got up as quietly as she had sat down and went to the living room to get changed, closing the door behind her.

_It's my turn for cooking today! I can do it for him as a little repayment for what he is doing for me, for the way he cares for me… It is just a tiny thing but that is just for starters..._

She was so used to lighting the fire in the fireplace and in the cooker, that, this time it didn't take her too long. She knew the caprices of those stoves better than she really needed. She left lighting a fire in the bedroom's coal burner for later, for she didn't want to make any noise there. And once she was done with the fire, she could begin preparing the mixture for the pancakes. In less than half an hour, the apartment was much warmer, the coffee was infusing, the table was set and she was ready to cook. _I can wake him up now…_ she decided. _By the time he gets ready the pancakes will be fresh and hot…_

She went back to the bedroom and sat on the bed again. Albert managed to pull the duvet over his head and only part of his face was visible now. That reminded her very much of Albert from the time when they had shared the bunk bed all those years ago. In those rare times when she had woken up before him, she had found him sleeping this way, curled up like a little boy.

She pulled the duvet aside and that allowed the morning sunshine to dance on his face. _That was probably the reason he covered himself in the first place… _she thought, amused. _The sun was blinding his eyes… Funny… that is exactly what I would have done…_

Albert turned away from the light and sunbeams now played in his light hair, creating a little halo around his head.

_Seems like even the sunshine likes him! _Again, she couldn't avoid the wave of fondness flooding her heart. This time she let her hand touch and gently caress his light hair. A wide smile appeared on her face when he finally opened his eyes.

"Good morning." She whispered softly.

"Candy…" he mumbled, "…you are already up?"

She nodded. "I'm making breakfast."

"And you robbed me of that pleasure?"

"Pancakes with chocolate sauce…" she winked at him.

"You just said the magic word!" Albert sat up instantly "and I will be there in a jiffy."

It took him a few minutes to get ready and when he went to the kitchen, he saw that a few pancakes had already made but Candy, instead of making more, stood by the sink and nervously cleaned the pan. There was a weird smell in the air. "Candy…?" he called her name slowly. The girl turned quickly towards him with a wide smile. A little too wide, perhaps… "You've burnt it, haven't you?" he said rhetorically.

The wide smile changed almost instantly into a childlike look of misery. "I did…" she moaned, "I just wanted to pour the coffee in the pot… I will never learn…"

He walked to her and hugged her in a gesture of solace. "The rest of it looks edible..." he teased and tore a piece off one of the pancakes. "Not bad, actually. I tell you what; you better start making new ones, because I'm going to annihilate all of these soon. And later I will cook for you, okay?"

"Well, at least _one _of us won't suffer from a stomachache today!" she turned to the cooker again.

"That's more like it! A bit of a smile!"

He didn't sit at the table but stood next to her, watching her. He took a pancake and tore a large piece off, spread melted chocolate on it with a knife and took a bite. _Not bad indeed._ He watched her movements but she didn't glance back at him, completely focused on not burning anymore pancakes. "Anyway, what's up with this idea of making pancakes all of a sudden?" he asked.

"Well, you know what they say…" she replied quietly. After a moments pause, "…a man's heart…" she said imperceptibly, almost mouthing the words, "through his stomach …"

Suddenly the piece of pancake he was eating was difficult to swallow. Albert almost choked.

_Did I hear that right? She is doing this to get to my...? _

He reached slowly for his cup and sipped some coffee. It helped, but just a little. He put the cup back on the table, gently cupped her chin and lifted her face towards his. "I am feeling flattered, Candy."

"And so you should." she said with a thin voice, lowering her eyes.

He let go of her chin and fought off the urge for more coffee. _Christ, Candy, what kind of woman are you? _he thought._ Going nearly insane when I'm too close to you like last night is one thing, but how is it possible that you can childishly moan about the burnt pancakes one second and next, make my blood boil with a few innocent words? Are you really that naïve or you purposively playing with my feelings, testing my limits somehow? Or, is it just me reacting to your every movement, every word you say to me? No, it must be me…_

"You know, yesterday you prepared my favorite things for dinner, so I thought it was my turn. I know you like pancakes, so…"

_So it wasn't a game. No, she wouldn't be playing with me this way...she's not like that… She simply wanted to surprise me… _he sighed in his mind, however not certain if he should feel rather relieved or disappointed. "Thank you for remembering." he bowed and lightly kissed her cheek.

"But of course I remember." she smiled openly and shook off another pancake onto a waiting plate.

_So it wasn't a game… No, she is not like that… _

"Are you staying for tonight too?"

_What?_ Coffee, that's it, coffee, he definitely needed more coffee! No, not coffee, he needed water, lots and lots of water, preferably Ice cold!

"No, Candy, I'm not." he replied calmly.

"Right, you said something about George coming back today from Detroit."

"Yes, he is coming back today." he confirmed. "Candy, leave that, you have already made enough for both of us. Take the plates and sit with me."

"Okay."

"Candy, George is indeed coming back today."

He started again after they had finished eating "I have to meet him at the station and go to the mansion as if I was never here."

"Keeping our secret?" she guessed.

He nodded slowly. "Keeping our secret. Nobody should know I spent a night here. You could be in trouble."

"Maybe... Although nobody said anything when we lived together in the mansion…" she suggested.

"There is a big difference between living officially in a mansion full of servants and visiting you in your apartment all alone and spending a night there." He explained. "And there's one person especially who shouldn't know too soon. You know who I'm talking about?"

"Aunt Elroy?"

"Aunt Elroy. But it isn't only about people knowing. It's about what happened last night, Candy…" he paused "I can't let that happen again."

Candy tensed in her chair and looked at him, suddenly all serious. "You mean like…never?"

He couldn't help but look away, not wanting to see the slightest look of disappointment about to cross her face.

"No Candy, not 'never'. Just only until the time is right."

"Does that also mean you won't even... kiss me?" she blushed slightly.

"Would you be disappointed if I didn't?" he looked at her as he answered her question with his. Upon seeing her nod, he added: "That doesn't mean I won't kiss you." He smiled warmly and clasped the girl's hand. "I seriously doubt if I could restrain _myself_ from that. Let's just say we need to be more careful with your methods of… warming people up when they are cold."

"Oh, that… I'm sorry, I really forgot to mention that vent…"

"You know what I mean. Candy, what is happening between us still seems to me to be some sort of a miracle. When we used to live together, you never thought of me this way, didn't think of me as a man and you know it. It's still unbelievable that you saw it in me after such a long time that we have known each other."

"I told you that Africa has somehow changed you."

"Perhaps. But it's not just me. You too, have also changed."

"Me?"

"You." he nodded. "When I left, I left behind a beautiful, deeply troubled girl who was crying over her lost love and when I came back after a year, I find the same girl, but crying after me. That alone is surprising enough. Not much later she admits that she is attracted to me physically as well, and _that_ feels like a miracle. I just didn't expect that miracle to be so strong..."

"Was I too bold?" she exclaimed suddenly, interrupting him and continued to due so without a pause, "I knew it; I knew I was too bold…! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been." She added, bowing her head. "It seems like I'm nothing but trouble..."

And again, this recurring shyness of hers!

"No, no, you've got me wrong… You don't need to feel sorry for _that_." he reached with his left hand and made her look at him again. "Actually, don't you dare feel sorry! It's wonderful and really, really tempting." _Christ, Candy if you only knew how tempting all this really is! "_We only need to control the situation a little more. What I said last night... I was serious. What started between us is still new and I don't want to rush anything. I want this for both of us but for you especially. You've had some bad experiences in your life and maybe it's time for something better, something different, without heartbreaking dramas and fuss that you've encountered in the past. I want you to enjoy a proper, warm, stable relationship."

"Albert... thank you again..." she nearly squeaked and to his surprise he saw tears swelling in her eyes. "Nobody has _ever_ taken care of me more than you do, the way you do... It's a really good feeling..."

"I enjoy taking care of you." he smiled, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "And I want to have this relationship with all the stages if possible, do what most people do. With no rush, with time for everything... For talking. Dating. Kissing. Hugging. Doing crazy stuff. Taking care of each other. Kissing again. Learning together and from each other. Crying. Laughing. Talking again. Just being together. Neither of us have ever had it. What do you say? Is that an acceptable deal?"

A warm smile brightened her face and she squeezed his hand. "Deal, _Sir Andrew_."

"Great. And now, since I'd say we are done with at least the kissing and the hugging, the serious and the crying matters already, it's time for the first of the crazy stuff." Reluctantly, he let go of her hand and picked up their plates. "It's time for the washing up after your cooking."

O O O

Footnotes:

*8* Ernest Edward Irons (1877-1959), internist, found "peculiar elongated and sickle shaped" cells in the blood of Walter Clement Noel, a 20 year old first year dental student from Grenada after Noel was admitted to the Chicago Presbyterian Hospital in December 1904 suffering from anemia.

©GosieKin 2009


	13. JUST BENEATH THE SURFACE

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: JUST BENEATH THE SURFACE**

The next few months passed for Candy in an atmosphere of joy and fervor. Her life was, as usual, filled up with work and patients but she also entered into a new venture. Encouraged by Dr Jacobs, she started a six months course of anesthesia in Presbyterian Hospital*9*. The program included lessons in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and administration of commonly used anesthetics. The Head Nurse watched her like a hawk, as she worked. It was as if she was her own personal guardian angel and until school was over, didn't allow her to take any extra shifts. Candy didn't resist in any way; she understood she should be concerned about herself too.

Mr. Willis was still under her personal care and when Dr Jacobs allowed it, they started some exercises. She gave her best, encouraging him, sometimes even forcing him to make more of an effort, sometimes discreetly wiping away his tears caused by the lack of result. But she wasn't going to give up, not even an inch.

She had divided her time between her work, her school and that special someone who was the reason behind her semi constant smile. Albert was making her simply feel alive again. And as he had promised, even with his busy life style as head of the family, he spent as much time as he could with her. He kept coming back to her apartment, more than willingly and all seemed as it once was. Now, cooking together had become their ritual. Her kitchen was always filled with their laughter, joyous laughter, and his constant teasing whenever she got too impatient about anything.

They would spend hours talking about very serious issues. They spent even longer talking about silly ideas. And then there were times where they would just sit in silence, without any urge to seek a matter to talk about. She knew far too many people were doing that to fill up the embarrassing emptiness of silence. With him, his silence was never empty, she could feel his presence emanating from him. Their silence was filled with their warmth and with their propinquity…

There were times she just couldn't believe how she could have ever thought of him in the past as 'just Albert'. Now 'just Albert', this new Albert, the one before her, must have put some sort of spell on her because she just couldn't stop thinking about him. The fire that he had ignited in her so unexpectedly last summer, persisted, hidden somewhere just beneath the surface, seemingly dormant, waiting, just waiting for his special glance, his proper gesture… Her shyness and her manners didn't let her talk about this too openly but the woman in her was, from the beginning, fully conscious of this fire and waited for these moments with huge impatience. But it wasn't only about his fire. Albert didn't cease to surprise her. On some occasions, he would be pragmatic, on others, romantic, passionate and crazy…

'Professor' Albert unbendingly kept an eye on her diet and like a natural born teacher helped her with Latin, which was part of her course.

'Romantic' Albert would charm her in various ways. He had made her sit with him outside and as the temperature plummeted dramatically, they both watched as the first snowflakes began to appear. A few at first, then as time went by, more and more joined in. The snowflakes filled the entire sky with white and danced their way gently downwards and onto terra firma. But her favorite was when he had tucked away an origami rose discreetly between the pages of her favorite book. Oh, the look on her face when she found it.

'Childish' Albert would suddenly turn their walk through the park into a snowball battle by throwing a snowball at her, and she didn't hesitate to respond in kind.

And then there was 'crazy' Albert, the one who would sometimes accost her right after work and would drive her off somewhere in his car, just like he did in the summer. He would take her for similar, romantic walks outside of the city and away from prying eyes. The location was always different. When Albert knew that it was all clear and that there were no people around, he would, as he did likewise in the park, suddenly change their stroll into a snowball battle. Only here, outside the city, the battle was much wilder and would inevitably always lead to a wild chase through the snowbanks. The chase would always end somewhere underneath a snow covered tree or in a snow-drift, where he wasn't at all as childish as he was a few seconds ago… But, wherever it was they ended up, he would promisingly press his body tightly against hers so she could feel the hug even through their winter clothing and then, kiss her passionately until she ran out of breath… just to rub her face with snow and run off with a roguish laugh.

_How could such a man be so down-to-earth and yet so romantic? How could a man be so simple yet, so complicated? _She kept asking herself. And sometimes she wondered if she didn't embark in a relationship with, as she began to call him, a 'walking paradox'. And if you added 'businessman' Albert, it really felt as if there were at least five different men living in a body of just one! _How could he be so calm and toned and yet, so crazy?_

The day she finally discovered the truth, sometime in December, it once again changed the way she saw him. It wasn't some big event that eventually opened her eyes. She was just simply at home, alone, focused on her study when it just occurred to her like some sort of epiphany. He had been hiding his true nature, she realized, first, behind the mask of a good-hearted, mature young man, who was friendly to everybody, later, when the life style requisite from being head of the family became his personal hell, he hid behind the mask of a perfect gentleman. And the realization of it hit her like a lightning bolt. It probably wouldn't mean much to the rest of the world but for her it was like a revelation. She said it herself last summer: Africa had changed him. But that wasn't what really happened. His trip to Congo didn't change him; it only allowed Albert's real nature to surface. And although she wasn't there to witness it when it happened, at least she was allowed to participate in it now. To others, he remained a mystery, at least if it came to his real personality; _she_ was the only one who gradually got to know his depths. She was the only one he had allowed to get so close and she was incredibly proud of this privilege. That really meant something. He was finally letting her see his real self and while other people only got to know his invariable calmness, she was experiencing his wildness. And she loved this wildness in him… just as much as he loved the same in her.

But none of them confessed anything and she was right to guess that he was waiting for her. And it seemed fair. He had once, on her birthday, confessed his feelings to her but she rejected him back then. It was now her turn to make the first move. It seemed really fair. She once promised him that she would try to open her heart for him and it wasn't a secret that he was doing everything to win it, but she was the one who would have to say the words first this time round, she knew it. But it wasn't a burden at all; her heart had opened for him a long time ago and by now was already possessed. He just wasn't aware of that yet. And she knew she would finally tell him, but… it was just so nice to be adored this way! The woman in her couldn't resist. It was a bit childish, she knew that but she just couldn't resist.

Just because she couldn't resist didn't mean that she didn't show her affections towards him any less, oh no. All those times they had met, she was always so openly happy to see him. It didn't matter if she greeted him by jumping joyfully in his arms at the door or kissing him fervently as soon as the door had closed behind him, or even just embracing him gently when he was tired. And this openness alone was enough to make him smile. It didn't mater if it was a smile of an honest, almost childish happiness, even his wicked, mocking grin or just a faint smile brightening noticeably on his tired face. She tried with all her soul to do what she could to cater for his mood in the best way. Sometimes it was her unexpected embrace and a kiss that lasted millennia which neither of them wanted to break. Sometimes it was one of their funny arguments, full of mockery, intelligent and silly things, which sooner or later would inevitable lead to laughter. Sometimes it was a serious, nearly intellectual discussion about life itself. And sometimes it was just a cup of his favorite coffee and a silent evening spent in front of the roaring fire on those cold evenings. During those evenings he would sometimes just put his head on her lap and close his eyes, while she thoughtfully stroked his face. Those were moments of comfort, just being together and not thinking of anything in particular. It was all about just being with each other.

Candy admitted now that he was right, when he asked to keep them two a secret for a while. Back then, in Lakewood, she accepted his decision as reasonable but now she fully understood how right he was. They needed this time for each other and their secret gave them freedom, at least temporarily. And one day it would come to an end, but for now they really enjoyed this freedom… Back then, in Lakewood, she said that as a joke. But now, they had come to the point where they felt a tinge of childish excitement from hiding their love and playing with people who were unaware of the fact that they were indeed, together. At the end of the day, he was some sort of a public person, an important businessman and spokesman and not once, not twice he had to really struggle to sneak out from under the reporters' noses. They maybe didn't chase after him every waking hour like after the top celebrities or politicians but he had his portion of fame, especially after a series of scientist articles printed in 'Chicago Daily' This time academic circles found the entire research in Congo interesting enough to sell some of the materials to the newspapers. 'Chicago Daily' was the only one which hesitantly agreed to emit a few short notes about the results, supported by fragments taken from Prof. Kleiner's and Albert's personal diaries. The notes were addressed to science lovers and as such weren't expected to draw any wide attention, but what was supposed to be only a short series, printed on the last page, quickly became a quite a popular column. As it occurred shortly before Christmas, half of Chicago waited impatiently for the morning edition of 'Chicago Daily' just to read another chapter of the journey. Most of the readers probably wouldn't recognize their faces as the photos were a bit blurry, but the names Kleiner and Andrew were on the lips of many.

The reporters however, were far more aware of his attire and of his address than the rest of the masses. And this little portion of fame which Albert had found almost overnight was enough to make them both hide their love even more carefully. They both realized that, once their relationship was announced to the world, especially if it was now, there would be fuss and chaos. With the news spreading among their inner circles, there would be questions, demands and expectations. If that happened, she could see in her mind, a thousand eyes would watching their every move, peering at their whereabouts and scrutinizing their behavior… There was no way that they could meet as often and as freely in her apartment. No, it was better this way, if people didn't know too early. Oh well, there were some exceptions though… Annie surely surmised something. And so had probably Archie but she never confirmed their suspicions openly. And yeah, there was George too… He probably knew it for sure by now, she seriously doubted if anything ever escaped this man's attention. But they all were loyal friends and whatever they knew, they kept it to themselves. It was totally up to them to choose the moment when to break the news. And they weren't going to rush into it. Their freedom was just too precious.

This year she had to spend Christmas Eve in the hospital, but it was a nice, simple, quiet night. And as a gesture, she was offered the day off on New Year's Eve, which she acknowledged with a happy smile. Madame Elroy was organizing the New Year party at the mansion and she was amongst those who had been invited. Actually, Albert had invited her before the party was even officially announced. It wasn't until the very last minute that she wasn't certain if she would be able to make it or not. And she _wanted_ to make it. She wanted to be there , a chance at last, to have one dance with him openly in public, even if she was going to be there only as his former protégée and family member. Her dress had already been made, it just sat there, waiting, carefully hidden from his eyes as she wondered if he was going to like it. She wanted him to like it. She wanted to see that special sparkle in his eyes, when he will first behold her on that evening. She wanted to see it in his eyes, always…

Annie phoned her with the news a day after Christmas. The list of the families invited was known from the beginning and there was no surprise that Madame Elroy had invited the most respected from within their circles. But because she personally took care of the invitations, nobody knew, not even Albert, that she had invited whole families, both senior members and their younger generation. Annie only found that out during the Christmas dinner at the mansion. She didn't wait a second to say what she thought about the entire list of the guests she had read. "Don't you find it strange, Candy," she said, "that most of the guests just _happens_ to have at least one daughter who is single and of marital age?"

It was easy to guess why. Madame Elroy never gave up the hope that she will finally manage to marry her nephew to what she called 'a good party' and now, additionally encouraged by Albert's new found fame, she was determined to put her plans into action. "Like sticking Albert in a room full of stupid giggling maidens was going to make him instantaneously change his mind," Annie summed up the conversation, snorting angrily over the phone.

When she hung up,Candy smirked, partially amused, wondering briefly at her Aunt's naiveté. How well did she know her nephew? Did she actually even know him at all? She clearly had no idea how firm and stubborn he was when it came to something that really mattered to him! Aunt Elroy had convinced herself that Albert easy to manipulate, well, that was her problem; she would be left disappointed, Candy thought. The outer softness Albert had towards his closest relatives could sometimes be really deceiving; she herself knew it very well by now. In reality, he would listen to somebody's plea or consider a reasonable discussion or even an argument, but good luck to anybody who would try to boldly command him! And she even knew the reason of people's unawareness of his steel will. Maybe it would be more noticeable if he reacted with anger or at least antipathy to those who attempted to manipulate him. No, he would just smile with patient stoic and carry on doing whatever it was that he was doing. His will was hidden and patient but unbending and it would have taken one good observer to read his behavior correctly.

Nevertheless, she thought, the Aunt's hopes will wane, she just knew it. No matter how Elroy would press or blackmail him, he wouldn't change his mind. He never caved under Elroy's pressure before during those previous years, when she was demanding from him to marry in her letters and he definitely wasn't going to do it now, _especially_ when _they_ were together…

But the prospect of an evening spent amongst so many young single women filled Candy with some weird feelings, somewhat new and unexpected feelings. Not that she doubted him, oh no. She wasn't certain of her own reaction. As they had not gone out even once, even officially as a family and she didn't accompany him at any of the few recent Christmas banquets, it was going to be a first time since her previous birthday she was going to see him in public, amongst other people, most certainly surrounded by the women... Because he was going to be surrounded by them, she was sure of it. Firstly, he was going to be the host of the party; secondly, he was still a single, rich man. Thirdly, he became even more interesting because of his research and fourthly… No, no that one should be right at the front, she corrected. Mother Nature gave him an attractive look, that's for sure but there was more than that. His sense of humor, intelligence and charm was more than enough to enchant any woman but add the delicate but constant aura of mystery and he was totally irresistible! And surely the other women could too sense that too from a mile away, not just her!

And the question now was: how was _she _going to cope with her jealousy?

O O O

Footnotes:

*9* Presbyterian Hospital was indeed one of the few hospitals in U.S. providing those courses. It cost $50 at that time.

©GosieKin 2009


	14. THE SIGNATURE OF A BEAUTIFUL SOUL

**Happy New Yeah everyone, in our one and in the parallel, CC universe!**

**This is not a New Year 'Special'. This is an actual part of the story. **

**.**

**.**

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE SIGNATURE OF A BEAUTIFUL SOUL**

Sunday, 31st December 1922

The few days between Christmas day and New Year's Eve passed quickly and before she knew it, The Evening had arrived. As a family member, Candy arrived at the residence earlier than the other guests, where Hannah led her to her former bedroom. There were lots of servants hired especially for tonight, running all over the place, but Albert was nowhere to be seen.

"Miss Candy, Madame Elroy is in her bedroom and will come down just before greeting the guests and Sir Andrew is in his study room." Hannah said before she was asked. "He was asking if you could join him after you get some rest."

"Oh," Candy shrugged, "I just need to get changed. I slept almost until noon after my shift."

"And how are your patients, miss?"

"I'd have to say we had a very quiet month, most of the cases are long-drawn or convalescents. But because of school, I spent most of my time working in the rehabilitation ward and they would sometimes call me to assist in surgery only in emergencies. Doctor Jacobs wants me to learn as much as I can. Oh, Hannah…" she suddenly realized the length of her speech and the speed at which she delivered it. "I'm sorry, I'm always on about the job…"

"No, it's good to hear such enthusiasm… If I'm allowed to be honest miss, I really missed that…"

"Oh, Hannah, I missed you too!" Candy yelled and spontaneously hugged the older woman. Both of them smiled a friendly smile to each other. "What do you think, Hannah, do I look decent?" the girl spun a pirouette in front of the mirror. "My long hair is probably out of fashion, but any attempt to cut my crazy curls into this new 'bob' style would be equal to having a crow's nest on my head! And I hate hair cream*10*! What little I used for tonight is already too much!"

"No, Miss Candy, you look wonderful. And I think cutting such beautiful hair would be a sin."

"Thank you, Hannah...it's so nice of you to say… Well, we will see. Thank you for your help. I have to go and say hello."

"Don't break your high heels." the older woman smiled again.

"I have a spare pair, just in case." Candy blinked and disappeared behind the door.

O O O

The study room was shrouded in darkness and the only light source was coming from the lamp on the desk. Albert stood by the window admiring the view from behind the window. It was only five o'clock, but due to wintertime, the sun set at least an hour ago and now it was completely dark outside. The only two colors dominating outside right now were the inky blackness of the sky and the grayish whiteness of the snow. Only the shadows of the trees stood between them. The gardener had been clearing the snow from the main paths since winter began so one could have a walk in the garden if one wanted to, but after it had snowed again yesterday, he was told to leave it as it was. A fresh, powdery snow covered everything evenly and it looked like the entire garden had been buried under a giant, soft, white blanket. Its surface, now hardened slightly by the frost, sparkled under the bright, full moon like a million miniature diamonds. The same cold moon that illuminated the snow was also reflected on the surface of Lake Michigan. From the distance it looked like some invisible hand had poured liquid silver into the water. The garden was separated from the lake by a small coppice but this silvery liquid shone so bright tonight that it was perfectly visible through the naked branches. The view was almost magical.

And the only detail that reminded him that it wasn't some fairytale painting was the faint orange glow of the city gas lamps a couple of miles up north, on the left side of the mansion. The lights twinkled slightly as if were shivering from the frozen cold air.

Albert looked once again at the dark, clear sky and sighed deeply, pleased. _The weather is magnificent, _he thought, _just perfect for fireworks…_

He was interrupted by a quiet knocking at the door. "Enter." he said, turning.

The door opened slightly ajar and a small shadowy figure slipped silently inside. The narrow smudge of light coming from the corridor disappeared again as the door closed with a quiet click. A second click indicated to him that the door had also been locked. Albert smiled briefly. Although he couldn't quite see through the darkness, he had no doubts as to who just entered his sanctuary.

"Hannah said I would find you here." the voice said. He smiled again. It has been a good four days since he last heard that voice and by God, it felt like it has been eons.

"Good evening…" he started, but then she entered the circle of the light and he stopped abruptly.

"I know the first guests are going to be arriving soon, but I wanted to say hello first…" Candy continued and took a few dance steps towards him. "And ask you if I look good…"

He stood in silence, feasting his eyes on the beauty standing in front of him. She was so ethereal, yet so tangible, so feminine… Her blond locks were carefully plaited into a crown shape, with the soft waves falling on her back. Her dress displayed her neck and shoulders and its burgundy color beautifully contrasted with her light skin. The silky fabric ran loosely down her waist and hips and ended asymmetrically like the petals of a flower just above her ankle. He registered all that with one, long, heated gaze but she probably couldn't see that as his face was still in the shadows. "You look…" he started saying and then stopped again, stunned.

"You don't like it?" she asked quietly, uncertain of his opinion.

'Like it' definitely wasn't the word he would use to describe how beautiful she looked in his eyes. No words could do her justice. "She is asking if I _like_ _it_… Hmm, let's see if I can say this right…" he said slowly, turning his head, as if he was talking to someone else standing nearby. Then, he turned to her again and narrowing his eyes on her, he walked closer. Before she could make any move whatsoever, he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her roughly towards him. "Actually, do you know what? The words be Damned!" he groaned. Cupping her chin with his free hand, he sealed her mouth in a hard, hungry kiss. A very much telling kiss. A "Leave-no-doubts" kiss.

For a moment she remained motionless, her lips soft and submissive. Then, she moved her head a little aside, breaking the kiss for a second. "Albert…" she laughed, trying to take a step back. Sure, she could try as much as she wanted, but his arm remained firmly exactly where it was placed before, on her lower back and he didn't let her move away from him, even by an inch. "…you are ruining my make-up…" she bemoaned buoyantly, chuckling, as his lips kept wandering about on her lower lip.

"So you will fix it up." he murmured unrepentantly. And with one little move of his thumb, he took her lips again.

She continued pushing him away playfully, still laughing quietly and definitely without any real intentions of breaking the contact of their lips. The recent week's schedule was so busy that they didn't get one minute to themselves and right now it felt like he needed at least twice as much time to make up for it. But even that wouldn't be enough. An eternity wouldn't be enough. Oh, he could never get enough of her lips! He could just dip himself completely in those soft, sweet lips and stay there for the rest of the night, forgetting about the party, the guests, even the entire world… Anyway, she could as well push her way through this wall behind her back, because there was no way he was going to let her go until his lips had been satiated. Hold on a minute, hold on…a wall behind her back? Since when was there a wall behind her back? She was standing right in the middle of the room when he kissed her, wasn't she?

Not that it stopped him in his tracks but even if he did try, _she_ wouldn't let him back off now. She stopped laughing. She even stopped pushing him away. Her hands were now wrapped tightly around his neck, like she couldn't get enough of him too, she was so eager to give and to receive … Oh, how he loved this eagerness of hers! It was such a breathtaking addition to what they shared now… And his only hope was that they could share it forever…

Candy's fingers snaked up his neck and curled around so tightly onto his hair that he had no doubt that it was now completely messed up. Breaking the kiss, he lifted his head higher, just enough so she couldn't reach his lips anymore. "Candy…" he murmured, hoarsely, almost out of breath, "…you are ruining my hair…" he said mockingly.

She slowly opened her eyes; two emeralds were misted over but he would have had to be blind to miss the appearance of the mischievous sparkle. "So you will fix it up." she replied with a low voice and pulled his head lower, towards hers.

And that was it. The wave inside him grew, swelled… until finally, it engulfed him. It made every cell in his body, one by one, quiver. It was overwhelming, scattering his breath, before finally escaping through his mouth in the form of a chuckle. Two seconds later and he was chuckling continuously, although his lips were still on hers. She was the one who slowly broke the kiss, only to look him in the eyes again and join in his giggle. They both laughed simultaneously, in a quiet, intimate laughter of two happy souls.

"I will take that as a 'yes'." she said finally. "I must say that you are very convincing, _Sir Andrew_…"

He moved back a little, just to have another look at her dress. "_Milady Candy." _He began in a pseudo posh voice "You look beautiful. Perhaps too beautiful for me to dance the first waltz with." he winked. "If I did that, I wouldn't be able to let go of you. I would dance with you all night!" _And not necessarily in a ballroom, _the well known devilish little voice in his head added. _Patience, man, patience… _he inhaled. _One day, for sure… _

It was a good thing, he thought, that Candy couldn't read his thoughts. She wouldn't be as cheerful and in such a teasing mood. "Dancing all night with one woman? Oh no, it's absolutely intolerable. Your duty as a host of this party is to take care of _every_ single lady." she said, mimicking Madame Elroy's nasally voice. "Besides, they still don't know about us… Well," she shrugged, "I will just have to amuse myself with Annie and Archie's company."

Sure… He was predicting quite different version of the oncoming evening… And his stomach felt like it had been kicked hard every time he thought about it. "I doubt if the men will let you sit for longer than for a second." He said. "Meanwhile, I will throw myself to the hungry tigresses, oh, I'm sorry, I meant the young single ladies dreaming of catching 'a good man'."

"Oh yes," she replied, nodding slowly, "you are going to be so upset dancing with all these beauties, for sure…"

While the possessive animal within him purred, unexpectedly pleased, he only raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

Candy proudly lifted her chin. "Not at all, never in my life… Why would I be jealous, that's beneath me…" she replied with a distinguished, cool voice but then, she looked away and pouted her lips in a girlish manner. "Of course I will be jealous… a little… You will dance with everybody but me!"

Now he couldn't help his lips widening in a grin. He wasn't going to be alone in his jealousy… It was a nice thing to know. "Candy is jealous of me - that's something new. You flatter me, my dear." He teased. "But who said I'm not going to dance with you?"

"Oh," she replied, her emerald green eyes opened wider, "promises, promises."

"Silly…" he leaned forwards and kissed her forehead. "My sweet, jealous silly thing… I was going to offer the first courteous dance to the person who holds the party, I mean Aunt Elroy…and I do have to attend to all those magpies dressed to the nines, but later I will definitely squeeze in your 'ballroom ticket' somehow, don't worry. Come now!" He let go of her, quickly smoothed his ruffled hair and nodded towards the door "I have to start greeting the horde of riffraffs."

O O O

Despite the icy cold greeting she had received from Madame Elroy, she foresaw the party to be a really nice, joyous occasion. Firstly, she felt like nothing in the world could spoil her good mood, at least not for awhile. He was jealous of her! They were both jealous of each other! The memory of his face, tensed up and then softening slightly when he understood that they were both driven by the same emotion was somewhat at least, a consolation. Secondly, even though she wasn't going to sit right next to Albert she was going to be near enough him to catch his discreet glances once in a while. And thirdly, he made sure she had good company to share her time with. As a family, Annie and Archie were going to be seated with her and she waited patiently for their arrival.

And when they did finally arrive, she spotted them immediately among the other guests. She didn't get the chance to greet them at the door, for only Albert and Aunt Elroy were in the greeting committee. But it didn't matter to her, not in the least. They were going to have nearly all night to enjoy each other's company. She waited for them to remove their outer garments and only then did she notice the change in Annie. It wasn't only about her growing belly. Annie's long hair had disappeared. Instead, she had her raven hair cut to chin length and done in this characteristic 'wavy bob' style which was all the rage at the moment. Candy smiled to herself as her friends approached slowly, making their way among the other guests towards their table. Seeing Annie, her always impeccable and tradition loving friend, having her hair cut in _this _way was a real surprise. And she didn't have to wait too long to express her feelings. They greeted each other at the entrance of the main dinning room. "Well, well, well, Annie, welcome to the twenties! That's quite a view, Patty should see it!" she teased warmly. "Did Archie persuade you or are you trying to revolt on your own accord?"

Annie's own hair style and garments for this evening were also chosen with Archie's advice. How could Archie always find a golden mean between following fashion and not having tradition bent too much, she didn't know. He was always good at that.

They sat at the long table, lowering their voices to the minimum level. Not only were they obligated to do so to please Aunt Elroy's strict taste of maintaining the rules of savoir vivre, but they also did it to try and keep the privacy of their conversation out of earshot from other guests sitting close by. Later there would be more time to talk freely.

Once all the guests were seated, the party could begin in earnest. Easy to predict, it started with a little pompous, yet, surprisingly short for her, Aunt Elroy's speech. It was immediately followed by no less a pompous dinner with appetizers consisting of various starters ranging from oyster cocktails in green pepper shells to a simple tomato soup. This was followed by two main courses. Everything from stuffed pheasants to roasted goose with potato stuffing in apple sauce to honey roasted suckling pig, cooked to perfection, crispy skin and tender meat. There was so much opulence to choose from, all of which were an absolute epicurean's dream. It looked as if no expense was spared for tonight. Last came the toast, the raising of glasses towards the guests. Once this was over, the company split into two groups. The first group made up mostly of men, accordingly to their outworn tradition, went to the smoking room, while the other group kept themselves busy at the tables, sipping liquor and gossiping to their hearts content. While everyone chatted, the servants discreetly cleaned all the tables and a little while later, the only thing that remained were a long row of cold buffets, set up along the back wall for later, and a drinks table, currently unused. But its time will come very soon, once the party reaches its peak, Candy had no doubts. She had seen enough parties in the past to know that. And not that she minded alcohol itself, no. She herself liked to sit with a glass of good Mediterranean wine, sipping it and feel it slowly warm up her body and soften the currents of her thoughts. What she was a little worried about now, right now, were the times they were living in. Prohibition had spread through the States in the last four years and even if only production and selling of the alcohol was illegal, no one could be sure of anything. She really hoped that they won't get into trouble for having alcohol at the party. It would have been so easy to get caught nowadays! One unfriendly person, one phone call to the wrong place and… like now… Who could ever say that anybody from amongst the guests could do such a thing? But if one was aware of other people's whereabouts, even if it wasn't for the purpose of gossiping, one could point out the people who could be potentially dangerous. She could. It was unbelievable, but it was thanks to her job. Like the young and ambitious son of the Möellers, Peter, who she treated in the hospital for a broken hand and who, to impress her, revealed that his cousin was working for the BOI*11*. Or, like Mrs. Gibbons, secretly seeing one of the reporters who was also hospitalized with a case of food poisoning… But, at the end of the day, she shrugged, shaking off the gloomy thoughts, it was New Year's Eve and everyone wanted to celebrate, even Elliot Ness, she was sure. It was a time of fun and joy.

She focused back on her companions who were sitting across the table. Annie has just come back from the guests room, Archie from wherever he was, and now, having most of the guests being in the smoking room or wandering about someplace, they had much less people around them. It felt more comfortable with holding a little private conversation. "By the way, Archie, any progress with making my favorite mare the best racing horse ever?" she asked innocently. "How is my sweet Rhailla?"

Archie snorted quietly. "You mean the Devil Rhailla?" he snapped back. "_She _is fine, but I couldn't say the same about the less noble part of my precious body the last time I tried to mount her."

Annie couldn't hide her laughter. "In his very much pathetic speech, what Archie is trying to say is that he couldn't sit for a good three days after Rhailla shook him off. Again."

"Thank you, darling," Archie glared at his wife, "You are really helping to cure my damaged pride."

"Oh, don't get angry…" Annie immediately gave him a coquettishly smile and wrapped her arm around his. "Pregnant women say many silly things, you have to be forgiving…"

Archie pretended to be distressed and turned towards Candy as if searching for some rescue but she only chuckled. "Sorry, Archie," she said, raising her palms slightly, "you caused her state – you pay for it!"

Betrayed by both young women, Archie rolled his eyes back and didn't make any more comments for fear of being abused further. Instead, he gave up and quickly told Candy the news about Lakewood, pointing out the necessity for all of them to visit the summer residence more often, and that included Albert.

"I know, Archie." Candy admitted. "The last time I was there was with you guys, for that overnight stay in November and it felt way too short. I barely had time for a horse ride."

"Yes, on _The Devil_, you don't have to be so cruel as to remind me." Archie went back to his sarcastic playful tone of voice. "You raced around the lake fast enough to cause a tornado! She is fast, I give you that, but the only way to make her a racing horse is if _you_ ride her."

Candy could barely contain her laughter and in order to do so, she discreetly covered her mouth with her hand. For a moment her shoulders and the waves of her blond hair jumped up and down suspiciously. "Archie…" she said, when she was finally able to control her voice, "are you telling me to change my career and become _a jockey_?"

The only reply she got was muffled laughter.

They spent another good fifteen minutes or so chatting before the remainder of the guests gathered once more. Then, it was time for the formal ball. An orchestra was hired played all sort of dances, they began with Waltzes, Polkas and Foxtrots. Later they played the modern Charleston and then, Black Bottom and even ending with a bit of Merengues. At some point, the soloist performed a bit of Jazz, much to the great joy of many of the youngsters and to the disgust of scandalized old matrons. It wasn't only the music that they were concerned with, it was also about fashion for shorter dresses. This fashion, this indecent caprice as they thought of it initially, came to stay. The changes after the war had developed into a strong propulsion in society and the younger generation demonstratively got rid of their corsets, showing off their ankles and calves, covered only with either black or flesh colored stockings. For the older ladies, trying to maintain a post-Edwardian life style, such an amount of naked flesh was equal to immodesty and was causing spasms of scandal, but moaning was all they could do. The era of the Roaring Twenties and the Flaming Youth was in its blossom and it seemed like nothing could stop it.

Candy was everywhere, here and there, feeling like a little bird flapping about all over the place. No, what she really felt like at the moment, was a bee, a very busy bee, buzzing from one group to another as if they were flowers. As much as she had tried to keep Annie company, who didn't dance due to her pregnancy, she just couldn't. Just like Albert had predicted earlier, she barely had time to sit down. After the formal beginning, when everyone was obligated to dance with his or her own partner, the rules were relaxed and people took advantage of that more than willingly. The old, married gentlemen didn't hesitate to ask other men's wives and daughters to the dance floor, young men danced with as many young women as possible. She was amongst them and sometimes, to stop this never ending merry-go-round, she had to sneak out to her bedroom. Nothing changed in there and she appreciated having the comfort of getting a few minutes rest in familiar surroundings.

It was perhaps her third time now that she was on her way back down, but only this time, when she passed the solarium, Candy stopped at the top of the stairs. She had a good view from here and undisturbed by anybody, she watched the party on the ground floor. All the swirling couples, groups of people chatting lively here and there huddled in small groups, the servants waiting readily at their assigned positions as Hannah discreetly coordinated their service… On the left, in the open door to the dinning room he spotted young, raven-haired woman, enjoying the gentle, loving embrace of a sandy haired man. Annie and Archie, a long time couple, from teenagers to adults, she thought. Oh, how happy she felt for the both of them! So many problems at the beginning, so many differences and yet, they were so happy now! Throughout the past years, Archie had grown up to be a man who was capable of noticing his wife's values and appreciating his luck, even if she wasn't his first love. And Annie grew up too. A timid, fragile girl, changed into a gentle but quite emphatic woman. However she was fulfilling mostly the role of a wife, she was no longer afraid of saying her opinion when she deemed it necessary. Archie's love really helped her to blossom. They both grew together into this common happiness, just as her and Albert were growing now…

This thought diverted her gaze from her friends and onto the crowd again. It wasn't long before she spotted who she was looking for. And it wasn't his height that made is easy. He was tall, but definitely not the tallest of all the gathered men and there were many here with a more commanding presence. And the last thing one could say about him was that he dominated the crowd with his prepotent personality. He didn't have one. If it wasn't for his white-blond hair, he might have looked like many of the other men. What was it then that made so many people abandon the dance floor and gather around him, there, near the windows? He wasn't telling jokes and typical party anecdotes, nor was he laughing loudly, drawing attention to himself. It was exactly the opposite. He just stood there, dressed impeccably in his black tuxedo, smiling friendly and calmly saying something to those standing nearby and asking them questions too. She knew exactly what it was. His charm wasn't overpowering; it came out only by having personal contact with him, talking to him. It was his warmth and the ability of paying attention to those who were chatting with him that earned him so many companions. It made them feel as if each one of them were the only one he was focusing on, she knew this. Listening… Such a simple thing and yet it mattered so much!

She glanced briefly at the little crowd surrounding Albert. And wouldn't you know, but the majority of the group _happened _to be the women! She wasn't surprised at the feeling she had in her stomach. It wasn't the first time she had felt it that evening and it surely wasn't going to be the last. Yeah, she did get jealous because of his dance partners. Oh, how she got jealous! In those moments she wasn't dancing and when she had a moment to have a quick look around at the crowd, she always saw him with one young woman or another, either occupying the dance floor or chatting somewhere on the side before being kidnapped by another group of guests wanting to steal some minutes with their host. Apparently, these beauties didn't need her, Candice White Andrew to enlighten them on how attractive Albert was. She was maybe the one who knew him best but they could surely sense some of his wildness too. And they weren't some giggling maidens as Annie flippantly called them; they were adult women, bold and well aware of their needs and abilities. And it didn't help much to know that he was taking their attempts in his stride with the polite smile of a diplomat and the attention he paid to each one of them was no more, no less than what he was supposed to do as a host. By creating and keeping this distance, he had inadvertently fueled these women's attraction, she could clearly see that and the view of those foppish beauties, coquetting him more and more stubbornly made her fume. Her face brightened in a friendly smile on the outside but inside she was incensed. _He is mine, mine, MINE! _She had wanted to scream every time she saw another feminine outline at his side. _Only I have the right to look at him that way!_

She turned her eyes away from the little crowd gathered by the window and began to descend the stairs, remembering all the time to keep a smile on her face. It wasn't desirous if anybody noticed her distress…

She headed back to her place at the table, leaving the dance floor behind. _Is this how jealousy really feels like? _She wondered. _I though I knew what jealousy was when I was thinking of Terry being with Susanna…but no, that was no way anywhere near to what I feel now… This is like an obsession, like some sort of a primitive instinct deep inside me that demands me to keep what's mine and doesn't let me share it with others. Such a feeling is wrong, it should feel bad…so why does it feel so right?_

She sat down on her chair, smiling to Annie and Archie. The couple was chatting lively and she quickly joined their discussion, trying to push the reason of her distress away from her mind. She succeeded. Nobody had noticed, not even her friends, what she was hiding behind her smile. Except for one person…

Some time later, when they were laughing at one of Archie's jokes, she felt somebody's presence behind her back.

"Excuse me for interrupting in whatever discussions that are entertaining you," the voice said, "but I would like to snatch Candy away for a moment."

The couple across the table stopped laughing and smiled broadly, innocently. Only their looks spoke volumes.

"Oh, go on!" Annie waved her hand flippantly. "I'm sure Candy wouldn't mind a little break from Archie's boring jokes…"

Candy turned slightly, lifting her head. Albert stood behind her chair, a courteous smile curling his lips.

"Would you care to dance with me, my dear?" he asked politely.

She knew his smile was only for the benefit of the other guests sitting nearby, who no doubt were listening in. She replied with the same, polite smile. "That would be my pleasure." She said calmly, accepting his outstretched hand.

She remained calm and collected as they made their way to the dance floor. The orchestra had been going through the block of various ballroom dances so that they knew for sure that they will have an opportunity to talk. Right now they were many couples swirling around them along with the loud tones of the music. Nobody could hear their conversation.

Upon reaching the dance floor Albert turned towards her, wrapping his right arm around her waist and held their joined palms high, as was required for the Foxtrot. She placed her free hand on his right arm and looked in his eyes. His lips curled in an almost unnoticeable smile. "Let's see then…" he said teasingly.

He stood there for a few more seconds, adjusting to the rhythm and then, he led her into the smooth long steps of the Slow Hilton Foxtrot. They joined the rest of the dancing couples, becoming just a part of the gently waving mass of people.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked.

"I am, thank you." she replied with a delicate smile. His calm face didn't deceive her; it was the warm tone of his voice what was important at the moment.

"So what's the matter then?" he asked, lowering his voice. "I saw you coming down the stairs… You can circumvent others with this wide smile of yours but not me. That type of smile you only wear when you are trying to hide something…"

Of course… How could he _not_ guess? She was only surprised that he actually noticed her standing on the stairs. So many people were keeping him busy…

"It's nothing, Albert, really…"

"Candy…!" He interrupted her, squeezing her fingers gently.

There was no point in denying anything, she had learnt some time ago that he wouldn't give up until he had gotten an answer from her…

"Remember what I said earlier on, in the study…?" she replied quietly, "You know… about being _a little_ jealous?"

"Uhm..?" He nodded expectantly.

"That was… well… an understatement." she continued, "A big understatement. No, a huge understatement."

Albert looked at her, narrowing his eyes slightly. "You know very well that you have no reason to be, right?"

"I know." She agreed. "I just can't help it. It's just me, not being able to be close to you… And all those women, looking at you as if you were their prey…"

She didn't get the reply that she wanted there and then. Albert looked away for a moment and as they continued dancing, she felt the grip of his arm tighten around her waist. If before, they were moving in a calm smooth rhythm, now he became more dominating, softly but firmly, he lead her into a more aggressive routine. Without even looking at her he communicated with her body with his own, with the movements of his muscular legs, parting her own and leaving her no choice but to follow, with the grip of his arm, leaving no doubts as to who sets up the pace… She felt each of his fingers, pressing gently against her back and motioning her body in the exact direction he wanted her to go and she couldn't help but feel like an instrument, finely tuned to him, and for this short moment in time, it played out precisely.

"Do I look like prey to you now?" he asked with a quiet but intense voice, lowering his head towards her. Feeling his breath against her ear, she quivered slightly but didn't reply, knowing full well that his question was rhetorical. "I am _nobody's_ prey, Candy, I am a hunter…" he added after a moment later, "…and you know very well that none of these magpies is what I'm after. There's only one woman I want to tame."

And, as always in his presence, she felt her heart lighten. Only a few of his words uttered and all the clouds, real or imagined, dispersed. How was he doing it? Candy looked up, catching his glance and smiled even wider. She could have made a joke but instead, "I thought that you already tamed her." she said facetiously.

"You are wrong." Albert said with the same, quiet voice intended for her ears only. Not wanting to attract anybody's attention, he slowed back to the regular, slow pace of the dance. Both straightened up and looking away from each other they now looked like all the other couples dancing on the floor, but nobody knew the truth. Only she was aware that his palm traveled slowly up her back, she could feel the warmth of his fingers, slipping along the silky folds of her dress. Nobody could see this motion for the chiffon shawl, loosely wrapped around her neck, which ends hung freely, covering her entire back. Warm, firm fingers then finally finished their short journey at the edge of the low center back of her backless dress and gently stroked her bare skin. The caress was discreet, almost unnoticeable unless someone was close up. She felt the wave of pins and needled running down her spine. She quivered again and a noiseless chuckle above her temple told her that Albert had noticed her reaction. "I'm far from being done taming her." he said in a low sexy whisper, "I have barely started…"

Now she couldn't help but blush and turned her head towards him to hide it from the others.

Seconds later, the music stopped. They were both still in their embrace, looking intensively in each other's eyes.

"…Now, you better go…" he said finally, "…before I kiss you right here and cause a scandal."

O O O

She couldn't complain, she really couldn't. She had counted on one dance but Albert wasn't going to stop at that. He had asked her to the dance floor on a few more occasions later on during that evening. The other guests were too engaged in having fun themselves and also too intoxicated to pay any proper attention to their host. Knowing this fact led them to relax a bit and to enjoy dancing together more openly. In fact, they enjoyed those dances enormously.

"My feet are going to fall off very soon and it will be your fault." He said laughing, while they were dancing their feet off to Texas Tommy*12*. "I used to be able to avoid the dance floor saying that I'm not really good at dancing but you have robbed me of that perfect excuse."

"Hey, Mr. Stubborn, let me remind you that you were the one nagging me to teach you!" she reprimanded him merrily.

It was true. She had always loved dancing and without being too bigheaded about it, she could admit that she had been better at this than him. _Had_, that was the key word. It was no more. It had been during one of their funny arguments sometime in November when she had teased him by saying that for once, she was better than him at something. And it was a challenge he couldn't ignore. He kept pressing her until she finally gave in and agreed to teach him the basics of the Foxtrot, Texas Tommy and the Black Bottom and he was a very toward type of student. He quickly learnt the steps and, as he had never had any problems with his sense of rhythm, he could finally say that he won't be ashamed to come out on the dance floor knowing only just a few Waltzes and a simple Tango. But now, he had to complain of course, he wouldn't be himself if he didn't tease her. And she wouldn't be herself if she didn't find a riposte.

She wasn't feeling jealous anymore. She knew from the beginning that she had absolutely no reason to be, and now she came to ease with the fact that the other women found her man attractive. She just accepted it and they even made fun of the fact.

"You had better tell this Peter Möeller to keep his hands of your lovely bottom if he wants to see the morning sunshine tomorrow." he growled with a wicked half-grin during the Black Bottom. "This area…" he performed a pirouette, lowering his hand in the process and stroking her posterior from top to bottom with a smooth, rapid, seemingly innocent movement, "…is my property and mine _only._"

"Deal, Mr. Possessive," she agreed, laughing quietly, "but only if you tell Miss Black Sequin and Miss Peacock Feathers to restrain themselves…" another spin, "…from stroking your cheeks if they want to avoid their faces being scratched. This area…" she looked meaningfully at his neck, "…belongs to me and no one else!"

And that's how this party went on for her; with laughter, dancing, joking with her friends at the table and chatting with all the invited families and guests. And it was some time a little after eleven when she decided to put her plan into action. It didn't take her long; only a quick visit to her room to write a short note and to pick up her coat and then one more sneaky visit to the kitchen, and finally, make a hasty little detour via the delivery door and into the garden, to avoid being seen by anybody…

Her timing was almost perfect; by the time she came back, it was fifteen minutes before midnight and Albert was already asking everybody to put their coats on and follow him onto the terrace. She knew that he prepared a display of fireworks. The servants were fussing for a good few minutes, getting the desired garments to their rightful owners. Candy used the pandemonium the ensued to sneak closer to Albert for a moment. Nobody noticed how her hand discreetly slipped something into his.

Finally everybody was outside. It was a quiet, frosty night. Mini white condensation clouds gathered under noses and in front of mouths whenever people breathed out or talked. Everyone waited in silence.

Albert stood at the top of the stairs, facing his guests to address them. "My friends! No, please, don't worry, this speech won't take long!" he joked and giggles were heard coming from a group of women in the crowd. "It's an honor for me to have you here as my guests tonight and to start the New Year with you. I hope you will like what you are about to see…" he quickly glanced at his watch "My only request for you is that you count down with me. Ladies and gentlemen, turn around now, please... and now… ten… nine… eight…" he began and people joined him immediately, knowing the tradition, "seven… six… five" the chanting of the countdown had gotten louder and louder "five… four… three... two… one… Happy New Year!

Their cries and shouts of jubilation and merriment were soon mixed in with the noise caused by popping champagne bottles. Whizzing crackers shot past at high speeds above them making a high pitch scream and then the skies suddenly lit up with an explosion of colors. As if this was a dialog, similar lights appeared above the entire city center of Chicago, where as they knew, every year, open air banquettes on the main squares and Municipal Pier took place. The entire sky was illuminated simultaneously with fireworks shot from both on land and on boats. Its loud staccato amalgamated itself with joyous shouts, laughter and the clinking of glasses. Chicago had just entered the New Year, 1923.

After many minutes of ovation and well wishes to one another, the show slowly died down. There was just one firework left. It had sat patiently, waiting to wow the audience. Everyone stood by, eager, waiting for the last firework to make a grand exit. They waited and watched. The condensation clouds got bigger as they took deeper breaths in anticipation. The spark on the fuse hissed its way towards its target. Anytime now! Anytime now! Everybody stared unblinkingly as the fuse shot into the firework and fizzled out of existence like a damp squib. The crowd turned and chaotically rushed back inside. The firework sat there on top of its perch and looked out at the empty space, where mere moments ago, had been filled with people. It sat there feeling sheepish.

Candy stood in the deep dark shadows of the building, hidden behind a marble column and waited until she was sure that everyone had left the terrace. She breathed in deeply; after many countless toasts, she felt dizzy and the fresh, icy cold air was exactly what she needed to clear her head. Once the servants had gone and Madsen had closed the glass doors, she ran through the snow towards the tall, perfectly manicured rose bushes. She wasn't disappointed; he waited, as she had requested in her little note. She looked back and checked around once again to see if anyone was there. Nobody. She checked again just to be sure. Nobody. Without a word, she grabbed his hand and ran off, pulling him along behind her. The gardens gradually sunk into the darkness but she knew exactly where she was headed to. Once again, she looked around before pulling him inside the maze of tall thujas. After a few turns, she stopped in the corner of the hedge and faced him. The moon, so bright before, was now partially covered by a thin cirrostratus cloud floating high above, but it was still bright enough for her to clearly see Albert's face. And she could see that apart from the slight puzzlement, his face expressed his undeniable amusement.

"Someone here was certainly very eager to have tête à tête amoureux *13* with me…" he said mockingly in jest. "Or, maybe a certain person wants to challenge me to another snowball battle…"

"Very funny, Mr. Tease…" she puffed, lifting her head proudly. "Hey, I'm appealing to your knightly manners; I'm unarmed, I'm wearing high heels and I'm absolutely not an equal opponent…"

"Fine, I will take that as a surrender then." he replied, his voice becoming hoarse. "I think we might as well skip the battle part and get straight to the point of claiming the prize as usual …"

She felt his arm, grabbing the edges of her coat and slowly pulling her closer. "And no negotiations?" she demanded further, cocking her head.

"None whatsoever."

And just like she had expected, with one quick movement, he jerked her towards him, covering hers lips with his own. They kissed hungrily, greedily. Within an instant her hands were on his neck and in his hair, only this time, he didn't protest. She wouldn't let him. His hands found their way under her unbuttoned coat and on her hips. She didn't protest either. Not that he would let her. His hands held her body possessively close to his own, like he didn't want to let go of her. His hands ran as far as he could reach, once again making a mental map of her womanly curves. He had done the same in the study but now, it was that little bit more wilder, more passionate. They both had some alcohol tonight and that must have definitely ignited this passion to run freely in the snow, she had no doubts. Not that she was going to complain… She loved feeling his hands on her body. Since he had spent that night in her apartment in October, they had an unspoken agreement of not going too fast and not going all the way. But nothing was stopping them from getting to know each others' bodies in other different ways. And she loved it when he was touching her like this, like he wanted to melt with her, to possess her, to just be a part of her very being… To become one…

After a minute, or millennia, she couldn't decide, their lips were finally satiated, at least for now. Their hands finally slowed down in their tracks, their movements eased. The kiss left them with a scattered, shallow breath, eyes that resisted to being open. Their senses intoxicated, not only by the alcohol. They just stood there, holding tightly to each other as if they were afraid of falling if they let go.

"Oh God, I missed that all evening." she moaned quietly against his neck.

"And that's why you dragged me here?" Albert chuckled noiselessly. "Just for a kiss? My, my…"

"Actually…" she lifted her head slightly, once again breathing in the icy cold air to calm her still shaking body, "That was just a part of the plan."

Albert moved back a little, just to look into her eyes. "A _part _of the plan?" he asked, surprise came from his voice, "So what else have you got in store, huh?"

Instead of answering, she smiled. Taking another deep breath to keep her head from spinning, she let go of him, turned around and took two steps to the left, to the very corner of the maze. There, she bent over and picked up two items that she had left there earlier on in the evening. Holding them in each hand she turned back towards Albert and couldn't help but smile again, seeing the total surprise on his face when she handed him one of the frosted champagne flutes.

"You smuggled champagne here?" he asked. "When? How?"

Candy giggled quietly. "Don't I get to keep some of my secret methods to myself? All you need to know is that I wanted to raise a toast with you without any witnesses." she explained.

He still looked at her with disbelief, shaking his head. "You are impossible sometimes..."

"…said Mr. Boring." she cut into his sentence quickly. "You better worry about something else. If you don't hold me right now, once I have more champagne, I'm going to fly off!"

Immediately, a grin jumped onto his lips. "Any excuse is good, right?" he said wrapping his arm around her waist again. "I can hold you down, fine but I wouldn't mind flying off with you…"

They both laughed warmly.

"Well then…" he said softly. "All the best for the New Year, sweetheart…"

A sharp ping was heard as the rim of their glasses connected and then they toasted the New Year.

"And I..." she began with a trembling voice, "I wish for you this year to be even better than the previous one. I hope it will bring you the new and the unknown, a lot more to discover and even more reasons of joyous. I hope it will bring fulfillment to all your dreams…" she raised her hand and stroked his cheek "I love you." she whispered.

"Thank you… what I would like to say…" he tensed suddenly, her last words hadn't registered in his brain until now, "What… What did you just say?"

"Exactly what you heard…" She looked directly in his eyes. "William… Albert… Andrew, I love you!"

And as if to confirm her words, the lone forgotten firework decided that this was the right time to make its grand exit. It shot straight up into the air, screaming like a banshee whereupon it exploded into a perfect, multi colored sphere. Various colors of blues, reds, yellows and greens shrieked away from the center, creating what essentially looked like a spiky ball.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. They both felt that the firework did it for them, at that precise moment, but they both knew, that in reality, the spark just took an awful long time to reach the black powder.

Candy looked up at the dark sky, feeling how close she was to shed some tears, happy tears. She laughed quietly again trying to hold them back. "I was going to say that some time ago but I was waiting for that special moment. You know, like champagne and fireworks…" she used his own joke from October.

But when she looked at Albert again she understood that he wasn't in a joking mood at all. His face was serious and he looked… very moved.

"Say that again." he demanded.

"I love you." she repeated.

"I've had too much champagne and I'm dreaming…"

"No you haven't." she shook her head. "You are so not dreaming…"

"No, no," he was sure that he misheard. "Say that again and tell me that it is not because you have had to much champagne…"

"I love you, Albert. I love you, do you hear me, I LOVE YOU!" she kept repeating with a smile. "And no, I haven't had too much champagne either. I love you, I can say that over and over again if you need me to, I love you, I love you…"

He didn't reply, only a tick beside his jaw betrayed how moved he was. Their hearts had been beating as one for some time now, he could say this from her actions, there was a big difference between taking a guess and to actually hear the confirmation from her own lips. _She said that, she said that! Dear God, she really said that!_ He thought._ Is that how it feels like when a woman tells you that she loves you? Is it possible that such a simple sentence, those three words can cause man's heart to dance with happiness? I guess… I guess it does, when the ONE says those words…_

He barely noticed that she had taken the glass out of his hand and together with her own, put them back down onto the snow. Still dazed, he felt her lips covering his own; sweet feminine lips, so soft and delicate, probing and tempting… He responded automatically but soon the kiss became deeper, more conscious, however, still serene. For some strange reason, there was no wild desire in this kiss like before; there was only tenderness and all the love they had for each other. Those words, those words that he had once revealed to her and later hid in the darkest corner of his heart, now rang out within him. Stronger and more powerful than when he spoke them aloud for the first time. Their relationship had been growing now for a long time, waiting. And now it was a time for them to finally blossom. And he let them blossom. Inhaling her lovely scent, with his voice filled with emotions, he whispered: "I love you too, Candy." He looked in her eyes and saw the same feeling that was now drowning him in bliss, wave after wave. He embraced once again, the one chosen by his heart. And only the dark, frosty night witnessed the words coming right from the bottom of his heart: "I love you…"

The winter still ruled the world, but deep in his heart he already felt the blossoming spring.

O O O

They came back separately to the mansion and melted into the crowd. The party continued and nobody noticed their short absence.

Candy wasn't dancing any more, excusing herself with tiredness, but she wasn't tired at all. She just wasn't interested in the other men, and dancing with Albert was impossible now; after their confession in the garden, one look could betray them. They didn't want that so they both agreed to play their respective roles for the rest of the night. He was taking care of the guests and now, to the contrary of what Candy might have thought, he was dancing with all mature women, wives, mothers and widows and seeing this, she could really enjoy Annie's company. She tried to hide her emotions but her friend knew her too well.

"Candy… I know that sparkle in your eyes… that could only be a man... Don't you have anything to tell me by any chance?"

"I do." Candy smiled.

"Am I guessing right that it is…"

"Shhh…!" Candy warningly squeezed friend's hand. "I swear you will find out about everything. The _time_ is right." she added meaningfully "But not the place. Do you see this woman behind us?" she nodded discreetly, "It's Mrs. Gibbons. She is dating one of the reporters working for the 'Chicago Daily'. The last thing I need is to end up in the newspaper now…"

"Sure."

"I know you have been extremely patient but could you hold on until Tuesday? I will come to your house after work and tell you whatever you want to know. Can you wait until then?"

Annie nodded and they started talking about different matters. They both missed Patty. She wasn't in the city; she disappeared off to New York for a few months and now was spending the winter in Florida. They were wondering about her latest whereabouts when Archie, who disappeared earlier on, joined them again.

"Candy, I think we might need your help." he said quietly.

"What happened?"

"Aunt Elroy felt weak and we took her to her bedroom. We have called the doctor already but Albert insisted you should see her first. But be discreet, okay?" he added seeing how quickly she got up "Aunt Elroy didn't wish to disturb the guests. Annie, darling, I will be back with you in a moment, alright?"

"Of course." replied his wife.

They left and headed for the stairs, pretending to be relaxed and it only when they got beyond the guest's sight, that they began walking faster. "Is it serious?" asked Candy as they walked speedily down the corridor.

"I don't know. But she is not young, you know…"

"I know. But she still has enough strength to throw me out as soon as I walk in there."

"Are you going to let her?"

"Of course not." she glanced at him "Who do you think I am, Archie, a little girl? I still don't like her, but she doesn't scare me anymore."

They were outside. Archie knocked.

"Come in." came Albert's voice.

"Are you feeling better, Auntie?" Archie sat on the bed and touched her hand gently.

"Oh, I will be fine…" she said impatiently "It was an unnecessary fuss…" she paused when Candy appeared behind Archie. "You! What are you doing up here?"

Candy took a deep breath. It was the best opportunity to make peace with the old lady. _It's now, or never. _She decided.

"I came because I'm worried about your health, Aunt Elroy." she said, stepping closer.

"You want me to believe that you are worried about me?"

"Aunt Elroy… no matter what you think of me, I'm here as a nurse. And as a nurse, I couldn't just idly stand by and watch." her professional discipline started to take over her old fears. "Albert, Archie, please leave us alone. I will take care of everything until the doctor arrives."

"No!"

"Aunt Elroy, I insist!" Candy looked her fiercely in the eyes. "Please."

Madame Elroy silently watched as both men left the room.

"And now, please forget it is me sitting here. I really am here as a nurse. Tell me what is wrong, where does it hurt."

"It's nothing, I'm not in any pain." she gave up reluctantly "I just fainted."

"Do you know what? I said exactly the same thing a few months ago when I fainted at work. And it happened to be the beginnings of anemia. I asking you to be honest with me. Do you suffer any constant disorders like headaches, pain in the chest, lacking of appetite?"

"I'm fine. Only recently, I have been having these horrible migraines. Maybe I've not been eating enough, but not enough to weaken myself, I'm not that inexperienced."

"Nothing else?"

"No!"

"Alright. Now, please breathe slowly and calmly. I need to check your pulse."

The old woman obeyed.

"Your pulse is very slow… Hmm... I really wonder about those migraines of yours. Do you take any specific medicines for that?"

"Yes, they are in the left drawer in my commode."

Candy pulled out a sizable box filled up with jars and bottles. "Which one?"

"The pills are in the brown bottle with the gray label and my other pills are in the blue jar" said Aunt Elroy as she pointed out the containers.

"Other pills?" Candy looked at the medicine "This one is a strong painkiller. But this…this is a drug for lowering blood pressure! Do you have high blood pressure?"

"Of course I do! But the doctor said it's quite normal at my age and prescribed me this. And it works."

"I know." Candy wondered, reading the label. "It's really efficient. When was the last time you took it?"

"I took the painkiller before the guests arrived and that one just before midnight."

"Before midnight?"

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"I need to ask: how much alcohol did you drink today?"

Madame Elroy almost sat up, flustered "What kind of rude question is that?"

"How much?" insisted Candy.

"Well, if you must know, I had some wine at the dinner and then champagne at midnight. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"A lot. You see, this medicine shouldn't be mixed with alcohol, because it can increase its effect and cause drowsiness and balance loss."

"That's nonsense!" snorted Madame Elroy.

"I'm afraid it's not." Candy stood up and put the box aside "We will wait for the doctor for a proper diagnosis, but I think you fainted because your blood pressure was lowered too much. A sudden temperature change didn't help either. For now, I will help you sit up and loosen your garments."

"You want me to undress?"

"Nobody ever got better with their corset squeezing the ribcage." she said as she laid down the law. And there was something in her voice that had made Madame Elroy obey her once again.

When the doctor finally arrived, Candy quickly told him about the medication. He nodded and examined the elderly woman carefully.

"It's nothing that can put your life in danger, Madame…" he said, taking his stethoscope off.

"Didn't I say so?" she interrupted with a triumphant voice.

"…but Miss Candy was right." he added. "It was your medicine."

Madame Elroy clenched her teeth and didn't say anything else. The doctor explained to her what happened in her body and what she should avoid doing in the future.

"You blood pressure will soon be back to normal, you just need to rest. You were lucky this time. I will leave you in good hands, Miss Candy knows what to do. No, please don't worry, my presence isn't necessary and I really need to get back to the hospital, we are really busy tonight. If anything else happens, call me immediately."

He left the room and both the women looked at each other.

"Didn't you hear what he said? I will be fine. You proved yourself to be right. Satisfied now?" the older one hissed.

"That's my job. And yes, I'm satisfied because I can be helpful to others." replied younger one.

"Get me my room maid and go back to the party. Have fun."

"The guests will manage perfectly even without me." smiled Candy as she proceeded to move an armchair closer to the bed.

"I don't need you here! Your presence irritates me even more! My room maid will do just fine. You better take care of the guests."

"I will be more helpful here." insisted the girl.

"Whatever, do what you want!"

"It has nothing to do with what I want. I just do what I think is right." Candy poured some water in a glass "Please, drink this. It will dilute any alcohol left in your stomach and slightly lower its level in your blood."

"Whatever you say." replied Aunt Elroy in a hostile tone. The old lady sat up and drank the water. "I'm not going back downstairs. Send for the boys, I want to talk to them."

Candy could hardly hide her amusement. _"'Boys'? One is twenty three and the other, twenty nine years old! Well, for their aunt they probably will always be boys…_ She rang for the maid and gave her the request. A few minutes later, both her 'boys' stood at the door.

"Auntie, the doctor told us everything." said Archie coming to the side of the bed "We are so relieved that you are okay."

"William, Archibald…" their aunt began formally and nodded towards each of them "Continue the party without me, please. If anybody asks, I am just tired."

"And you? Do you need anything?" Albert asked softly.

"No."

"Maybe one of us could stay with you…" Archie offered.

"Thank you for your concern, boys, but Candice insisted in taking care of me."

The two men standing at the bedside took this statement without even blinking an eye. "Alright, auntie. We will see you in the morning." agreed Albert and they both turned and headed towards the door. "Candy, may we have a word with you outside, please?" he added with an unbiased voice.

The girl followed them and as soon as she closed the door behind them, they turned to her. Beside their worried looks written on their faces, she also saw raised eyebrows and suspicious glimmers in their eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to explain something to us?" probed a bamboozled Albert.

"Like what?"

"Like how the hell did you manage to tame our family dragon? Since when did she let _you _take care of her? You gave her laudanum or something, haven't you?" teased Archie.

"Archie, a little respect!" she scolded him, but a smile broke her lips too. "Everything will be fine, I will look after her."

"Are you sure you are not going to get eaten alive?"

Candy sighed protractedly. "If that happens, you will know by my horrifying scream that will shake this building." she said. "Now, go. I will see you later."

"Okay. But I tell you one thing: Annie will be upset. And it won't be only her. It's no fun down there without you."

"You overestimate me, Archie."

"Albert, we will be very sad, won't we?" Archie riposted and made a melancholy face.

Albert too pulled the same face as his relative. "Terribly." he acknowledged.

"Sometimes I think you two are nuts." she rolled her eyes and pushed them towards the staircase. They didn't insist longer, only Albert turned slightly and discreetly blew her a kiss. Seeing this, she smiled. "I'm going back to tame your 'dragon'".

O O O

The music from downstairs could be heard even from up here, but the only sound in the bedroom itself was the sound of the ticking clock. Every few minutes, Candy checked Madame Elroy's pulse but everything seemed to be getting back to normal. She took her shoes off to make her more comfortable and she walked in bare feet between the bed and armchair. Not able to contain her curiosity, she discreetly looked around the room. She knew it well of course, but now there were more of Madame Elroy's personal belongings in here. What really gained her attention was a small painting hung up on the wall between the two windows. She was sure she had never seen it before, but somehow it seemed familiar. She stepped closer to take a better look. It wasn't actually a painting, it was quite a large drawing made with black ink and mounted in a black and silver frame. It exhibited a window view; her heart sudden skipped a beat as she recognized what it was.

"Have you taken root there? Does it become a lady to sneak around someone's room?" came an infuriated voice coming from the bed.

"Please forgive me, my aunt." Candy winced in surprise "I thought you were asleep. I was just admiring this painting."

"And what is so special about it for you to admire?"

"I don't know." the girl shook her head "I have never seen anything like that before. It's somehow unusual… Am I right…? Is it the garden in Lakewood? Anthony's rose garden?"

"Yes, it is Lakewood." said old woman apathetically "How did you know?"

"Oh, how could I not recognize something which I always have in my heart…?" she sighed.

"I can't see anything special about this painting. People say it is gloomy."

"How can you even say that? It is so beautiful, sad indeed, but not gloomy at all!" protested Candy lively "And these lines... such delicate minutia... This garden looks so alive but is somehow covered with some sort of a fairy tale mist... I'm sorry, I know I probably sound like a complete amateur, but that is the way I... feel this painting. I'm sure whoever drew this must have had a beautiful soul."

"Beautiful soul?" the incensed voice grew louder. "What are you jabbering about?"

"You see, my aunt, Anthony once told me that the more beautiful the gardener's soul, the more beautiful his flowers will be. That was why his roses were so amazing – because he had a beautiful soul. Whoever had truly managed to catch the essence of the garden in this drawing must have had a soul as beautiful as his."

"I doubt it." said Madame Elroy harshly.

_She will never change…_ Candy thought with sadness_ as she took one more look at the drawing_. _So much beauty and she doesn't even care to see it… Taming the dragon, sure… Why am I even bothering…?._

She couldn't have seen that old lady was watching her with a disconcerted look on her face.

The rest of the night was quiet. There was the sound of deep, calm breathing coming from the bed; the old woman had fallen asleep, this time for good. Candy sat in the armchair wrapped in a blanket. She was tired but she has had years of experience in keeping a night vigil. Every time she felt her eyes beginning to close, she would get up and walk to the window. This side of the bedroom had a view of the gardens and in the dim light she could see the outline of the tower that she once had to climb from, hanging on to a rope… It felt like a life time ago. Looking back on it now, she couldn't believe how foolish and dangerous it was. She had two choices of escaping the attic: it was either calling out to her friends or climb out by herself. Her pride wouldn't let her shout out for help. She could still remember the horrified looks on her friend's faces, the tears in Annie's eyes, fright in Stear's…

_Stear,_ she thought. _Stear, I still miss you so much… I miss your sense of humor and your crazy ideas… Would you put your inventions into practice if you were still alive? I'm sure… maybe they would even work… and you, Michael… such a handsome medical student, so mature and with already appointed targets… You had impressed me so much! And you were both taken by this stupid war..._

The music still came from the ground floor but she also saw movement and lights on the outside of the house, where the cars were parked. This indicated that the guests would depart soon.

She looked around the room once more. The drawing on the wall kept drawing her in like a magnet. It enraptured her again and again and she couldn't shake off the sensation of feeling such amazement before. There had been another time when she had felt like this. But when, where? Maybe she has seen another piece of art from this artist in one of the city galleries another time? Not that she was a connoisseur… She just couldn't remember.

She spotted a small inscription in the bottom right hand corner of the piece of artwork and gingerly stood on her toes to get a better look. _"June 1914" _she managed to read. _A year after Anthony's tragic death,_ she realized. All of them, including Albert were in London back then and as far as she knew Lakewood stood empty.

_Who was the artist, and what was he doing there?_

_O O O  
_

Footnotes:

10 A hair cream was forerunner for hair gel.

11 BOI - Bureau of Investigation. Originally created in June 29, 1908 as DOJ (Department Of Justice), it was later renamed BOI on July 26, 1908. Since July 1, 1935 the organization is now henceforth called the FBI (the Federal Bureau of Investigation).

12 Texas Tommy was a popular dance that led to swing in the late 1920's

13 Tête à tête amoureux – (French) a conversation between two persons in love

©GosieKin 2009


	15. THE JOY OF THE FIRST STEP

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE JOY OF THE FIRST STEP**

January was for Candy a month of her little success. After many a few months of monotonous exercises with Mr. Willis, the moment finally came when her patient, balancing himself with a walking frame, took the first few steps by himself. It happened one morning in her and Dr Jacob's presence.

.

He had doubted that today would be any different. Candy, the young nurse, being in her usual high spirits had told him otherwise. The doctor examined his legs to see if they were fit enough to begin today's exercises while the nurse told him what they were doing today. He wasn't really in the mood to do anything today apart from staring out his window. At this point, he was about ready to give up. He had sat there in his wheelchair and stared at the walking frame for over fifteen minutes. He didn't want to try again as countless exercises over the months bore little fruit.

"It will not be today or any other day" he said deflated.

"How do you know if you don't try? I know you can do it, I just know you can!" replied the young nurse enthusiastically. "Think of the look on your parents faces when you walk up to them! Wouldn't that be a wonderful surprise?" she added.

He sat there and thought for a moment. This young nurse had never given up hope that someday, he _will_ walk again. She was the one who kept pushing him on, kept telling him to keep trying. If he gave up now then the exercises would have been a waste of time, not to mention the young nurse's time as well. If she had invested so much time and energy to help him try to walk again, the least he could do was to give it a try. He nodded.

The doctor and nurse lifted him up and held him as he tried to gain some sense of balance on the walking frame. His knees were still slightly bent so he pulled himself up straight using the strength of his arms. A tingling sensation was running through his legs, not a huge sensation, he barely felt it but it was there. Click, click. He felt something, something he hasn't felt since the accident. His knees had locked.

The doctor and nurse also noticed and told him that that was a good sign. They both gently let go of him and now he was now balanced on his own. The doctor walked a few feet in front of him and the nurse stood next to him in case he should fall. "You can do this Mr. Willis" she said, "You can do this" she kept repeating.

Mustering up all his will and power, he managed to slowly, ever so slowly, lift his left foot up a few millimeters above the floor. In the same motion, he moved his foot forward two inches and planted it back down on the floor. He did the same with the other foot. This entire action took 30 second. And even though he had only moved a mere few inches, he wanted to do it again. The doctor and nurse cheered him on. He looked at them for a moment not knowing what to say, then a smile as he looked back down at his feet. He definitely wanted to do that again. And he did.

Tears of beatitude tricked down the sides of his face when he realized that he was walking, albeit at a snail's pace and almost in slow motion, but nevertheless, he was walking. The old doctor nodded, very pleased with the results. They then helped him to sit back down in his wheelchair. _That nurse was right all along, she didn't doubt for a minute _he thought to himself.

"Mr. Willis," Dr. Jacobs said in exceptionally warm voice, "you didn't want to believe us when we told you that you might be walking again. Now you have proof. It will take a little longer but I think you will regain your proficiency."

"Really?"

"Really. I think there's one person who will definitely watch that happen." he glanced at a beaming Candy. "A young nurse once promised that she will get you back on your feet even if that meant she had to move them one by one on the floor herself."

"And she did that, doctor Jacobs, she did manage to get me back on my feet!"

"She was marvelous, wasn't she?"

The man in the wheelchair frowned. "Marvelous?" he snorted gently, "She was sharper than a cheese grater!"

Both men laughed upon seeing Candy blush suddenly. "We all worked together on this, but for sure, you are the biggest part of this success, Candice." added Dr Jacobs.

The girl seemed to be positively pulsating from all the emotions and suddenly, without warning or saying another single word, she ran out of the room. Candy ran down the corridor, turned right and promptly bumped into a tall, wiry woman. "Sorry!" shouted Candy as she continued running without looking back.

"What happened to her? Did she get upset by the joke?" asked the stunned patient.

"I don't think so." replied the doctor as he smiled to the guest who had just entered the room "As far as we both know about this young lady, we think that she is just happy."

"Happy?" The patient said with a puzzled look on his face.

"I think so." said the woman emphatically "She was always incorrigible. Good morning, doctor Jacobs."

"Welcome, my dear." greeted the doctor "I'm glad to see you here. This is Mr. Willis I told you about, the special patient of our incorrigible nurse. She helped him back on his feet, literally."

"I would never expect anything else from her."

"Mr. Willis, would you like to see a little show?" invited the doctor and pushed the wheelchair towards the window. Mr. Willis looked outside and was perplexed to see a little figure performing some weird ritual of jumping about and around the trees in the part of Douglas Park that belonged to the hospital. All they could see from this distance was a white uniform and a gold pleat bouncing crazily on the girl's back.

"It's Nurse Candy... Is she… dancing?" he asked with disbelief.

"Yes. I presume she is happy because you are regaining your health."

"She is happy because of me?"

"It's very much like her." smiled the woman.

"Do you still think she is sharp as cheese grater?" joked the doctor, pulling the wheelchair back towards the patient's bed.

"Well, I don't know…" the patient hesitated. "She was so strict with me, especially when I was giving up, but she was also so nice every day…"

"It's very much like her." repeated the woman and she proceeded to help the doctor to carry the patient back to his bed "If there are any freckled angels in this city, surely she must be one of them."

O O O_  
_

Candy came back into the building all out of breath. It was frosty and cold outside but she didn't feel cold at all, warmed by her inner glow and excitement of what had happened. She was just about to turn and go up the stairs, when a feminine voice calling her name stopped her in her tracks. She spun around. A young trainee nurse maniacally waved her hands at her from the front desk. It looked urgent so she ran to the desk.

"Candy," the girl said, "you have been summoned to Dr Jacob's office."

"I'm on my way." she uttered. _Oh my, trouble again? He is probably angry with me for being rude and leaving the patient so abruptly…_

She ran to the office as fast as she could and knocked on the door.

"Enter!"

Candy opened the door and walked straight towards the desk. "I'm terribly sorry, Dr Jacobs," she gasped, trying to regain her breath. "I would like to apologize..."

"I see that you are still running in the corridors, Miss Careless."

_That voice! _Candy's eyes grew wider. Taken by a surprise completely, she stumbled as she turned around. "Principal Mary Jane?" she asked with disbelief.

Her former teacher energetically raised her thin body from the sofa. "You are as scatter-brained as before!" she spat, coming closer and wagging her finger angrily.

"I just…"

"Excuses, excuses…" the old woman said, giving her a piercing look "I see that you haven't learnt anything from me! Running a marathon in the corridors, a performance of some sort of gambol in the park… Is that how a nurse, a former student of mine, should behave?"

"I'm sorry…"

"Stop torturing her, Mary!" the doctor laughed heartily.

"Oh, well, I couldn't resist giving her a lesson. I think I have some sadistic tendencies! Well, aren't you going to ask what I am doing here?"

"I was just about to… I would never expect…" Candy looked stunned as the usually strict face of her former principal unexpectedly brightened up with a warm smile. It was so weird to see!

"I was told by Dr Jacobs about your patient." Mary Jane explained, "I also have been carefully watching your progress at Presbyterian's and I have come to congratulate you, Miss Careless. I'm really proud you come from my school."

"But there is nothing to congratulate…" Candy contradicted "…I haven't finished the course yet… and how do you know about my progress?"

"Aren't you forgetting who I am? I know your teachers and I have seen your quarterly results."

"I try to learn as much as I can whenever I have time." beamed Candy.

"I bet you do this by sitting with a book in a tree somewhere." the woman retorted.

"No, not in the winter, it's too cold..." Candy corrected automatically and immediately covered her mouth. "Oh my, I open my mouth before I think…"

It was a very weird to see a sixty year old woman and man a decade older than her, quickly raising their hands in a nearly simultaneous movement to cover their mouth as they both began to cough suddenly. Yet, Candy could swear that she could hear different sound escaping from behind their fisted palms. It sounded suspiciously similar to a silenced giggles. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting them have their moment of fun. Even though she was amused herself with her little _gaffe_, she didn't feel like laughing openly with them would be appropriate. The respect she had towards them wouldn't let her. After all, they were her superiors and erderly people.

When after a few seconds the coughing silenced, she opened her eyes. Both Dr. Jacobs and Principal Mary Jane stood as nothing worth commenting happened, with a friendly smile on their faces. "I'm sure you will pass." Mary Jane said with a confident tone.

"Thank you, I'm trying the best I can." Candy replied before suddenly straightening up when a child's cry could be heard from behind the door. "Principal Mary Jane, Dr Jacobs, I'm sorry, but is there anything else? I need to get back to the ward as I don't want to neglect my duties…"

"No, Candy that is all, you may go." said the doctor.

"I'm sure you will pass." Mary Jane said with a confident tone.

"Thank you, I'm trying the best I can." Candy replied before suddenly straightening up when a child's cry could be heard from behind the door. "Principal Mary Jane, Dr Jacobs, I'm sorry, but is there anything else? I need to get back to the ward as I don't want to neglect my duties…"

"No, Candy that is all, you may go." said the doctor.

"Buzz off, Miss Careless. We will see you again soon. And I want you to be the pride of my school!" her old teacher's voice became harsh again.

"Yes Ma'am! Good bye!" she nodded and left.

_Patients before everything else, huh, Candy?_ The woman thought as the door closed behind the girl. _Looks like you have learnt something after all…_

O O O_  
_

©GosieKin 2010


	16. THE MAGIC OF THE UPCOMING SPRING

**_Earth that was could no longer sustain our numbers, we were so many. We found a new solar system. Dozens of planets and hundreds of moons. Each one terraformed, a process taking decades, to support human life, to be new earths. The central planets formed the alliance. Ruled by an interplanetary parliament, the alliance was a beacon of civilization. The savage outer planets were not so enlightened and refused alliance control. The war was devastating…_**** Hang on… wrong book…**

**_A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away_****… No, that's not it either.**

**_In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero… She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in…_**** Oops. Let's try again shall we…?**

**_Once upon a time and far, far away, beyond the horizon of the ninth sea of smeg, on an unknown land, deep, deep inside the forest of stinkyweep, stirred a beast of magnificent magnitude…_**

**Hold on, hold on… Sorry, wrong story again… These book covers look so similar…**

_(The loud noise of the falling books comes from the library as GosieKin fervently searches along the bookshelves)_** Aha, 'Xrds II'! Got it! So, where was I the last time…? It's been so long… **_(Flipping through the pages)_** Oh yes, here it is – "THE JOY OF THE FIRST STEP" Onwards with the next chapter then… Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin…**

**.**

**.**

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE MAGIC OF THE UPCOMING SPRING**

17th February, Chicago

Mid February had passed and winter finally began to slowly release its icy grip. It was still cold, but there was also this unmistakable fragrance of the upcoming spring in the air.

It was a Saturday early afternoon, one of Candy's days off, she was running around her apartment expeditiously, gathering all the necessary garments that she needed. For a moment she stood in front of the bed and looked, hesitating between two of her favourite skirts, but in the end, she decided on the calf-long, woollen one with the matching jacket. The entire suit was a lively chocolate brown with vertical, beige stripes. Choosing the rest of the clothes didn't take too long either; she quickly decided on one of her cream, georgette blouses to wear underneath it, leather boots and a winter coat with the fur collar.

She had overslept and now she was paying the price as she fervently got ready to go out with Albert, as they had arranged earlier. Although, 'they' and 'arranged' weren't exactly the right choice of words to describe the situation. The 'announcement', yes, that was a more adequate word. _He_ had phoned her out of the blue around ten that morning, waking her up from a deep sleep, _informing_ her that he would come for her around midday and _requesting_ her to dress up smartly but also warmly as they would be going quite far outside the city. She had drowsily agreed with everything he had said, when in fact, she was still in the arms of Morpheus and hadn't registered even a single word. As soon as she hung up the phone, her body softened and her head fell back onto the huge white fluffy pillow. Before her head had even begun to sink into the pillow, Candy had drifted back into a deep repose.

However, something must have sunk into her brain because she was woken up an hour and a half later by an odd, tingling sensation that there was something that she was supposed to do. It took her a good few minutes to become fully awake and that was when she was aware of the time and the meeting ahead. With her eyes now wide open, she hastily grabbed the phone and made a call to the mansion. Luckily, Albert was still at home and she chaotically apologized, profusely, and begged for an extra half hour to get ready. As expected, he initially laughed at her absent-mindedness at first, only to later assure her that it wasn't a big problem at all. Understanding the reasons behind her weariness, he had generously given her an entire additional hour to get ready. She didn't really need that much time but she was thankful nonetheless. And it was then her mind drifted towards the meeting itself and she asked him where they were going. And if she expected her curiosity to be appeased, she was to be left, well… disappointed. Albert quickly changed the subject and only from the sound of his voice had she sensed that he was smiling. That fuelled her anticipation of the unknown adventure that was about to come, even more. After all, he was good with surprises.

When said one o'clock had finally arrived and she heard the eagerly awaited knock at her door – her entire being was entirely dressed from head to toe and raring to go… she trembled from the excitement. Of course she could barely wait. Having been recently completely occupied with her school, she had no time to really enjoy the contact with nature properly. Without this, she found herself feeling a little claustrophobic, a little suffocated by the narrow streets of the city and Albert's initiative to go outside of the city to enjoy the fresh air and open spaces wider than just the park was more than welcomed. And of course she expeditiously opened the door, driven by the need of not wanting to waste anymore precious time and to leave as soon as possible. And of course she had quickly wondered if she could playfully dismiss him by giving him a quick little peck on his cheek and then sneak underneath his arm without a so much as a word, just to check, just to see, if he would let her simply go downstairs and jump into the car to head off towards the expected adventure. Could she try? Would she? But of course she would! Did she? But of course she did! Would he just let her go in peace? But of course he wouldn't! Of course, what else was new?

A quick peck. A quick duck under Albert's arms and she was away. Candy tried to flee but her impatient and giggling being was promptly caught in his arms. She was firmly dragged back inside, pressed against the now shut door and kissed - thoroughly and mercilessly. Of course, what else was new? But my, what a nice, inescapable 'hello'. She remembered vaguely that she once heard about this ancient fairy tale of people using their tongues to actually _say _'hello' but it surely belonged to the world of myths, she could swear on it.

Not that she was going to complain about it.

No, she decided that the moment in which he felt this ridiculous need of actually _vocalizing _a 'hello' and breaking their kiss to do so, was something she could complain about. Yes, it was definitely worth complaining about. And so she did. But not just at the loss of his lips, she also found herself at the loss of words – all she managed to achieve was a small whiny sigh.

She opened her eyes only to see the handsome cause of her complaint, standing in front of her in an almost leisurely pose. He was looking back at her intensely but also with an undeniable amusement, with a smirk of satisfaction gracing his lips.

"You seem to show some signs of addiction, sweetheart…" he said, with his voice balancing on the edges of smugness and laughter.

Candy swallowed with some difficulty. _Here we go,_ she thought contrariwise, partially aroused, partially amused_. Here he is, Albert with his 'hey,-look-at-me,-I'm-so-unaffected attitude'. _She breathed deeply, regaining the much needed control. She couldn't let him have all the fun, could she?

"And you, Mr. Thick-skinned, I suppose you of course have got a stronger resistance…" she challenged him with a provocative smile.

Two dark brown eyebrows twitched up and down in time, teasingly. "And what could that possibly be that I cannot resist, pray tell?" he asked slowly.

Seeing that neither her provocative smile nor words were efficient enough, she reached for her only reliable weapon left to her. Tilting her head forwards slightly, her eyes never leaving his, she bit her lower lip and sucked it inside her mouth. When she was sure that she had all his attention focused on her coquettish wiles, she released it slowly and let her lips form a pout, knowing full well how this was going to affect him. And, as always, the trick did its job. His eyes narrowed and he said in a low growl, "you, little vixen…" before he once again claimed her lips.

She really couldn't let him have all the fun, could she? At the end of the day, she was also not that bad at saying 'hello', was she…? She was determined to prove this theory to him right here, right now, meeting him half way and letting her lips do the talking. This kiss was shorter but nonetheless, her 'hello' must have been quite effective because when she freed his lips, he didn't have the signs of his earlier easiness of acting unaffected. Gone was the leisurely pose and the big smug smile; instead, he was short of breath and she could see how tightly he had clenched his jaws. To the contrary, she smiled victoriously. It was a smile of a woman who was aware of her power over her man, a smile he could not misinterpret. And he didn't.

"Little vixen." he repeated warmly, his voice slightly hoarse.

She could get used to that. Oh, just how easily and how eagerly she could get used to having this kind of power over him!

"I'm merely taking care of the supply for my 'addiction'." she chimed innocently, fluttering her eyelashes and quickly changing her victorious smile into a girly pout again. Then, lowering her eyes, she added, "And judging by the level of my addiction, I'm hoping for my negotiating skills to be advanced enough to gain me a lifetime's supply..."

But this time she didn't get the expected reaction from him. Albert didn't make any comment to what she had just said, there was none of his usual teasing; he just kept looking at her, with a gratified smile on his face. And when she thought that he was going to stand there for the rest of the day, his mused smile unexpectedly widened, transforming into a boyish grin, his eyes shone devilishly. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand, opened the door and dragged her outside the apartment, towards the stairs.

"Wait!" she laughed, pulling at him to stop. "Wait, you crazy man, I need to lock the door first!"

He let her do just that and they both started to make their way. Her neighbours, those that were in of course, could hear the loud stomping of their feet, resounding through the staircase as they quickly descended the stairs, laughing away like little children. When they came out of the building, Albert approached his red Franklin Touring Sedan parked on the street just outside, opened the passenger door and let her in. Barely thirty seconds had passed before they were on their merry way, going down West Roosevelt Road. The traffic on the main road was quite heavy at this time of day and didn't allow them to go any faster than fifteen miles per hour.

Candy twisted slightly on her seat so she could now face Albert. From the second he had arrived, she was preoccupied on certainly different things other than his garments and only now she could have a proper look at what he was wearing. Like her, he had a long, brown coat but instead of the fur collar it had a dark sheepskin lining. She couldn't see what he wore underneath, but she could try to guess what it was from the material of his trousers visible from beneath the bottom edges of his coat. It was tweed and that meant he could have worn either a matching jacket or a sweater. His clothing looked comfortable but not entirely casual. Once again, she began to wonder where it was they were going to. And she wasn't going to wait God knows how long to find out.

"So, Mr. Secretive," she began, "where is it that you are taking me this time?"

If Albert's already wide grin could become any wider, it just did, but still no words passed from his lips.

"Well?" she pressed impatiently.

Again, silence. And this continuous grin, looking as if it was permanently glued to his face.

"Oh come on…" she moaned quietly, "Where?"

"I've told you so many times." he finally replied, chuckling quietly, "Curiosity killed the cat."

As if that was a trigger word, Candy bristled like an offended cat and folded her arms before her. "You will drive me insane one of these days!" she rumbled.

"Hopefully." he nodded. "I intend to do my best at developing _many_ ways of doing so over the coming years, be sure of that."

All of a sudden, Candy felt a treacherous heat flooding her cheeks and thought briefly that it was a good thing that the air inside the car was so cold. At least it was cooling her skin which had suddenly heated up. Not that it would have been a disaster if he noticed her blush anyway; for the last few months he had seen it many, many times. It couldn't have been otherwise; he had been, in fact, the main cause of her blushes. She still couldn't believe how it was possible that he could make her, an adult woman, blush as if she was just a shy school girl. The worst part was; she couldn't remember blushing so much and so hard when she actually _was_ a school girl, all those years ago. The reason of her blushes; yes, _that_ was what made the difference. Back then, at school, she would blush from anger or shame. Now, it was a completely different matter. She would blush from the indecent thoughts _he _was planting in her mind. A few more or less provocative words or even just an ambiguous word, and all the control she had over herself started disappearing…

And what was so special that he had said this time, she pondered. It was nothing really bold, nothing too suggestive, just a few seemingly innocent words… so why had it sounded so tempting to her, so promising? Or, was it just her, thinking so dirty recently that she was hearing double entendres and sexual suggestions everywhere, even when there were none? Yes, it must be her… Having no doubts whatsoever that they were destined to have a common future, she found herself wanting and longing for this future to happen as soon as possible. She found herself searching for any clues that might come from him, wondering, wanting… and cowering instead of asking him directly. Because as much as they loved each other, as much as they trusted each other – she couldn't bring herself to inquire about the exact plans for their nearest future, their future together. Something within her just wasn't allowing her to do so; as much as she was an independent and modern woman in life, she was still much too old fashioned when it came to the affairs of the heart. And, in her belief, it was only proper that the man was the one who would initiate the proposal. She could only leave him some hints that she is ready. And she did, even today, just before they left her apartment. And, as always, he didn't seem to even notice. It kind of hurt. He was the one who knew her best, who could nearly read her mind, before she even spoke – why couldn't he understand it then? Why couldn't he understand what she was trying to hint? Why couldn't he understand that she didn't want to wait anymore? Because, God, oh God, she couldn't wait… She couldn't wait to become his wife, become one with him, fall asleep in his arms each night and wake up next to him every morning... Seeing him, even the few times a week wasn't enough anymore. She wanted, needed to have him as a part of her days and nights, to be a part of his too, to share her life with him…fully and officially, for better and for worse. She wanted it so badly that she found herself thinking of imbibing herself one day with enough wine to gain enough courage – and simply, boldly asking him if he would marry her anytime soon. Should she then? Perhaps she would have to…

"…are you still with me, Candy?" asked Albert, when he noticed that she was deep in thought.

She shook her head, quickly placing herself back into reality. _Of course,_ she smirked. Getting lost in her thoughts would never go unnoticed in his presence; he was so observant with her. "But of course I'm still with you." she replied with a light tone. "Where else could I possibly be?"

"You looked so serious all of a sudden… Is there something wrong?"

"Wrong?" she repeated blankly. No, as much as she wanted to ask him that question, this wasn't the right time nor the right place, not in a cold car, while he was driving… How unromantic! Anyway, if she was seriously going to do this, she needed his full attention, the proper atmosphere… and… wine, copious amounts of wine. And there was no wine here, she summed up, shrugging inwardly. "No," she continued with a much firmer voice, "nothing wrong. It's just one of those times when your incorrigible girlfriend gets lost in thought, all of a sudden and for no reason at all."

"That sounds very much like you indeed." he admitted. "But something tells me that I shouldn't buy this version of your story so quickly."

They approached another crossroad and Albert turned the car left. They now entered one of the side streets where the traffic was less congested. It had been about a month now since it had snowed the last time in the big city, the snow had stayed due to the freezing conditions of winter. But now that the hint of spring was approaching, the snow gradually melted, leaving the streets awash with a black slush with slippery patches of ice here and there. That was another reason for keeping the speed to a minimum.

"Listen, if you are upset about me not telling you where we are going…" he carried on, "…I can tell you some if you really have to know…"

"It's okay, I've already figured out _some." _she interrupted him, smiling. This wasn't a pretend smile either; her wondering didn't disturb her wonderful mood at all and she really wasn't as unaware of where they were going as he would like to have thought.

"Oh, is that so?" Albert blinked quickly in surprise. "Okay, go ahead and share your conclusions with me."

"Well…" she began replying with an even bigger smile. As they had turned at the crossroads she had had an opportunity to look around and now she could at least tell the rough direction in which they were heading. "What should I begin with… let's start with the direction, shall we?" she teased. "I dare say we are going north."

"Oh, is that so?" Albert repeated. "And what makes you think that? Are you checking the wind direction?"

"No, I'm guessing by the position of the sun and by what side of the tree the moss is growing on as we pass by them *15*." she retorted. Her joke earned her a quick burst of Albert's laughter. "But I don't need to be a survival master like you to know that the position of the lake is significant too." she continued. "We are going parallel to Lake Shore Drive, I have the city on my left, Lake Michigan on my right so we are going north no doubts."

Another chuckle.

"We are indeed." Albert admitted, as if it was really necessary to admit the obvious fact. "What else did you work out?"

"There are no mysterious baskets on the back seat this time so we are _not_ going for our usual picnic in the snow." she stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, you are nicely dressed and you have claimed your prize already as soon as you arrived at my place so I assume that there will be no snow fight challenge either."

Silence.

Two blue eyes flashed towards her for a split second with a bemused look in them, then quickly focused back on the road again.

"It's obvious that it will not be in Chicago." she carried on with her monologue. "You said yourself that we will be going _quite far_ outside the city. So judging by how much gasoline we have now…" she glanced at the meter, leaned over and gave it a tap "…and how you are always calculating everything for a trip, I would say that we are going further than Evanstone."

Another glance.

"So adding everything: we are going north, quite far outside the city, we have enough gasoline for at least four hours drive, no picnic basket, we are both decently dressed… Two plus two gives me some public place anywhere up north from Evanstone. And, as there is nothing really special in Highland Park or Fort Sheridan, my bet is either Lake Forest or North Chicago."

Albert sighed protractedly. "Remind me not to underestimate my girlfriend." he said. "Not ever. Not that I would ever try."

"Aha! So you did underestimate me this time? Bad boy!" she wagged her finger at him, smiling. "But judging by your sudden frustration I can say I guessed right, didn't I?"

"You were dangerously close." he replied. "Waukegan."

"O--kay, Waukegan…" she agreed. She fell silent for few moments, searching her memory and then, seeing that Albert was busy avoiding the traffic on the junction with Lake Shore Drive, she added quickly, "I think I saw it on the map some time ago. Not very busy, population about 20,000 and as far as I remember, once you enter the city you can either carry on Sheridan Road or turn left, into Grand Avenue… Which one are we taking? Which one will be closer for us?"

"Grand Avenue." Albert replied automatically, still focused on the cars in front of them. "This route will take us almost directly to the res…" he stopped abruptly in the middle of the word and this moment of silence was followed by Candy's giggle. "Oh, you sneaky, little vixen!" he shouted. "You tricked me!"

Candy's giggle turned into open laughter. "So…" she inquired again, modulating her voice, "…restaurant then?"

Albert felt like he didn't even need to glance at the young woman at his side to imagine her huge smile. He could nearly sense her self-satisfaction in the air. _How typical of her,_ he thought, amused, _always trying her best to spoil at least one part of the surprise…_ But then, he was the one who started the whole thing, challenging her to guess by herself and if he was defensive now, he had only himself to blame for that. He should have remembered how inquisitive she was. The first part, when she was only teasing him about the direction, was actually funny. He had taught her himself how one can position himself by simply observing the sun or trees around and she remembered the lesson well. But the fun part had evaporated like mist in the morning sun as soon as she started to dig deeper. He realized quickly that he really underestimated her perceptivity. And now he knew very well that if he didn't give her something to divert her attention, she was on the best way of pulling every piece of information from him, word by word. And that, he couldn't alow.

"Alright, have it your way and enjoy spoiling the surprise." he said, deciding to act as if he was giving up. He sincerely hoped that once proclaimed victorious, she might stop inquiring. "Yes, we are going to a restaurant for dinner." he admitted shortly. "I hope you will be ravenously hungry by the time we get there."

"Well, until now I didn't have time to think of it, but I guess all I needed was for you to mention the word 'food' to make my stomach bark like a happy puppy." she replied cheerfully. "I'm already a little hungry, my breakfast was just a token gesture, I only had some Quaker Oats. But hey, hey, it's not like I'm skipping, I've learnt my lesson!" she defended herself quickly, raising her hands when he sent her a glare. "It's only because I overslept, totally, totally my fault, I swear."

He had told her long time ago, and he told her in definite tone, what he thinks of her, skipping her meals. When it came to her health, he remained steadfast and unbending. He believed of course in what she said about today's breakfast but he couldn't help but to grab the opportunity to use her little pangs of conscience for his own purpose. He really had to distract her mind from asking any more questions.

"I understand you must have been very tired after yesterday if you overslept… You came back late again?" he asked, trying to change the subject and also her line of questioning.

"Exhausted, that's more like it." she answered. "But in a positive meaning. All this, what we learn about the human body, about how it can be affected by medicines – all this is so exciting!"

Yes, the conversation seemed to be shifting in a different direction. He needed to push just a little further... "And how are the practicals going?" he asked.

His ruse had worked. Within an instant, she turned from being an over inquisitive detective into a less excited, but professionally sounding nurse. He sighed inwardly with relief when she began describing the progress of her course to him.

However, he wasn't only asking her just to divert her attention. He really liked hearing what was happening in her life when he wasn't with her. From the very beginning, since she started the course, her free time was limited but with some sort of effort, they had managed to steal a few hours here and there. But for the last three weeks, since the course reached the level of putting the learnt theory into practice, they barely had time for each other during the weekends. Odd, but she was even busier than he was himself - and there was nothing she could do about it. The school was very strict – with classes in the morning and practicals held in the surgery rooms in the afternoon, demanding teachers and no absences allowed without a very, very good reason. He understood that, even if he immensely missed seeing her. He comforted himself with the thought that it wasn't going to be forever. And what made it easier for her was that the administrations at both hospitals cooperated. It was a good thing that someone in the management understood that it was physically impossible to attend such a course without colliding with the regular shifts at St. Camille Hospital. And that's why Candy was temporarily released from her duties there and transferred, for the time being, to Presbyterian Hospital. Her free time was still very little but at least she didn't have to rush from one place to another. He was glad for that.

And the other reason he was asking about the course was…a curiosity. Yes, he was simply curious. At the end of the day, he had been living with her under one roof for more than four and half years altogether and he couldn't help but feel somehow affected by her job, even if only a little. But since that time he spent when he was helping her with Latin, he became more and more taken by her commitments and now he found himself nearly fascinated by the discoveries in modern medicine as much as she was. It was good to be aware of new techniques, new medications, to find out more about the background into the latest revelations. Thanks to her stories, he understood now a little more about anaesthetics and the difference between ether and chloroform*16* and when was it better time to use nitrous-oxide*17*. Thanks to her he also found out before anyone else about the hospital's intentions of using experimental ethylene-oxygen _soon_*18*_._

It was just like one of his professors at the university once said – 'it's never too much knowledge.'

"Would you guess who we were introduced to yesterday?" Candy asked.

"No idea," he replied honestly, "but judging by the excitement in your voice it must have been someone very special."

"You bet!" she exclaimed. "Ms. Agnes McGee visited us!"

"My, my…" he wondered. "The founder of the course herself*19*?"

"Yeah… She came down all the way from Portland to visit the school in Cleveland*20*, she also visited our school and she was asked to give us a little speech. But everyone was so fascinated with the achievements of her life and her tutelage at the University of Oregon*21* that her speech quickly turned into an unofficial lecture!"

"Namely 'everyone' who goes by the name Candice White, as incorrigible as a student as she is as my girlfriend?" he stated, trying hard to remain serious.

"No, there were many others who also had some questio… Hey!" she shouted and he knew that his last sentence had finally and fully registered in her work preoccupied mind. He couldn't look at her face for he was focused on the road but he heard her low growl and he laughed heartily at that. He didn't have to wait too long for her to join in his laughter. "You are such a horrible tease sometimes!" she added.

"I am, thank you very much!" he bowed his head slightly, still laughing. "I am a horrible tease and that's why you can't resist me!"

She punched him playfully in his left arm, only to lower her hand and entwine her finger with his, as if she wanted to erase the previous gesture.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I interrupted you. Carry on..." he encouraged her again. "What does Ms. McGee think of her Chicago branch? Did she examine the lot of you?"

The time passed quickly as he listened to her. Since they left Chicago and its always busy streets behind, he could finally drive at almost top speed*22* without stopping and before they both knew, they were already in Evanstone. And here, just like on the open spaces between the two cities, the ground was still covered with snow. Maybe it was the lack of heavy traffic or people that made the difference, maybe it was because the buildings here were more sparse, compared to the big city. The fact was, winter didn't want to let go easily here. But on a sunny day like this it didn't really matter.

"Why are we stopping?" Candy asked Albert as he pulled over and parked the car near the sidewalk.

"I will be back in a moment." he answered her shortly.

Since they entered the city, he had deliberately driven through the merchant district. He stopped because he spotted what he was looking for. The shop took up all the entire ground floor of the building and on the glass front window, painted in big blue letters, was one word, 'Clyde's'.

The tiny bell that hung above the entrance tinkled as the door gently opened. As Albert entered, he was immediately welcomed by the unmistakable, distinctive and enticing aroma of freshly baked products. Upon smelling the strong fragrances of the freshly made bread, the raw flour, the candied fruits that were added to the cakes and the sweet iced doughnuts, he couldn't avoid but feel a little hungry himself. He approached the counter, focusing on the various products displayed in the wooden trays behind the glass.

The sound of the bell had alerted the person responsible for the store. The door separating the shop from the back room opened and a woman in her fifties, wearing a white, well-groomed apron and with her hair neatly hidden under a cap, entered. She spotted him and they exchanged greetings.

A few seconds later, a young merchant girl appeared beside the older woman, carrying a tray. She was making her way towards a half empty shelf at the front of the store. The sweet delicious smell of what she was carrying soon spread throughout the establishment. He needed only one glance at the tray to make up his mind. And his reaction didn't go unnoticed because the older woman stopped the girl in her tracks. She called her back and told Albert the different flavours.

"They are flying off the shelves like hot cakes." she added, smiling.

He chose two of them, paid and thanked her with a smile when she handed him two paper bags. When he got back to the car, he handed them to Candy and he couldn't help but smile again, seeing her reaction to the smell which immediately filled the confines of the car. Her reaction to the gorgeous aroma was identical to his own, when he was in the store; she sniffed deeply and swallowed involuntary.

"One each." he said as he turned the ignition key. As he drove off, he heard the rustle of paper through the noise of the engine and he knew she had opened one of the bags and taken a look inside.

"A muffin?"

"Your breakfast was a token gesture…" he said as he explained his purchase, "…and mine was a long time ago, so a little snack will do well for both of us."

"You bet it will!" she replied, "Blueberry for you?"

"And winter apple for you." he confirmed. "The coffee is in its usual place."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed how Candy bent over to reach for the space between their seats. She quickly retrieved the long, cylindrical object. When they had gone outside the city for the first time, in October, they had gotten a little cold and it occurred to him later on that it would be good to have something hot to drink in the car. He had rummaged about and managed to find the unused steel flask in the cavernous mansion's kitchen. They made use of it on their second trip outside the city and that's how carrying around hot coffee became a habit.

Candy placed the flask on the floor and held it in place between her feet. The coffee could wait; her mind was now entirely focused on the gorgeous smelling muffins. She fervently tore at some of the paper that wrapped them both, so it would be easier to hold. With her stomach not waiting any longer, she eagerly sunk her teeth into the still warm winter apple loveliness.

As the delicious product slowly dissolved in her mouth, the fruity piquancy of all its flavours exploded on her tongue and she couldn't help but moan out a little at the sensation of the taste, as the warm nectarous jam filling, which was totally unexpected, slid down her throat. "Goodness…gracious!" she managed to exclaim, still munching. "This is delicious!"

Lost in the world of the warm, fluffy cake and its bits of baked apple sweetness, she forgot all about the other muffin she was still holding in her left hand. It wasn't until a non discreet cough sounded above her ear, that she realized that some time had passed and she had already eaten more than half.

"Now, I'm jealous."

"Huh?" she turned to him, a little puzzled.

"I'm jealous of that muffin."

"Again…" she shook her head, "Huh?"

"Can't you hear yourself? You are sighing and moaning." He explained with a dead serious tone but with the smile trembling to peak out on the corner of his lips. "I should be the only one that gives you that much pleasure."

For the moment, Candy was left speechless. _Here we go again,_ she thought, _Welcome to the world of Candy's Burning Cheeks…_

But, oh my, did he really have to tease her with the vision of him, giving her pleasure? Did he realize what kind of sweet torture he was inflicting within her? And if he did - did he really have to have that smug look on his face every time he mentioned her reaction to his touch? Because, damn him, he was right. He was indeed capable of making her sigh and moan and, damn him again, he easily achieved that with just a kiss, if and whenever he wanted to. She was almost afraid to think what her reaction would be when he made her fully his…

_Must all the men have to be, deep, deep down, so full of themselves and so possessive once they are sure of their position? _She added rebelliously but without anger. This new side of his character both excited and irritated her with a passion, with the accent on 'excited', but in reality, it never truly angered her. It was just a part of their game and it meant no harm. And hey, it's not like he was the only one who could use the anticipation and imagination as a weapon, right? She wasn't obliged to let him have all the fun, was she?

"You are jealous, you say?" she asked slowly, mockingly. "Maybe you are right to be, who knows? If something else other than you is capable of robbing you of my attention, maybe it means you are not trying hard enough? Or, maybe you're simply not as sweet as this muffin?" she finished bravely.

It worked, just like she expected. She noticed how Albert blinked few times and opened his mouth as if to say something. Exhaling, he immediately closed it again, as if the riposte he was about to give her wasn't good enough. With a half amused, half smirk pasted firmly on his lips, she knew he had already given up on her challenge.

"Now," he spoke finally, "I feel insulted. You dare imply that a _muffin_ is better than me? This affront demands payment." He stated firmly. His face had the look of seriousness but the laughter, vibrating in his voice, had betrayed him. "Feed me."

Now, _that_ was something she didn't expect.

"What?"

"Feed me." he repeated. "You have to pay the price. Besides, I can't use my hands for eating, I'm too busy driving." he added, shrugging innocently.

This time _she_ didn't know what to say. But even if she didn't know what to say, it didn't mean she didn't know what to do. Without hesitation, she turned again towards him, reached out with her hand and held the blueberry muffin in front of his mouth, close enough for him to have a bite.

"Good girl."

While he was eating, piece by piece, she also finished her cake. Folding the edges of the paper, she shook off the remaining crumbs into her mouth. The piece of paper, now scrunched in a tiny ball, landed in the bag on her lap. Moments later, she did the same with the other wrap.

"No wonder they flew off the shelves." Albert said, seemingly out of context. "They taste even more heavenly than they smell."

But the game wasn't over yet. Not for her, anyway.

"You have some blueberry jam on your cheek." she said dispassionately.

"Where?"

Instead of just answering, she leaned over and gently stroked the said smudge with her lips. "Here." she murmured. Although her brain told her not to do it as the car was still in motion, she just _had_ to. With the tip of her tongue, she began to slowly lick the remains of the sugary fruit from his skin.

His initial reaction was a small chortle and she didn't exactly hear it for it was almost noiseless; she had felt it against her skin. As she proceeded licking gently the corner of his lips, she still felt the warm air escaping his mouth but the chuckle faded.

"Candy…" he protested facetiously, "Be a good girl, I'm driving."

"And you are doing it very skilfully." she replied, with her lips now hovering along his jaw line. When she got to the point where his inner muscles pulsated into a tick, she nibbled on the sensitive skin.

"Candy…" he growled, any previous playfulness had gone completely from his voice. "I can't drive like this."

She lifted her lips to his ear. "Then stop." she whispered.

They were stuck in that moment for a few seconds, nothing had changed. The engine still worked on the same level as it had done previously and they still felt how it made the entire car vibrate slightly. There were no sudden turns or rapid stops. There was just a noticeable wobble, as if the surface wasn't as even and smooth as before and that had actually helped to decrease the speed of the car. Stop. A click was heard coming from the ignition as the key was turned and then silence, as the engine spluttered and died out.

A warm hand was now in her hair. "And what on Earth am I supposed to do with you, huh?" she heard just above her temple.

"Nothing." she breathed into his neck. "My challenge, my rules."

His skin was so wonderfully warm against her trembling lips. Leaving the trace of light kisses she went down his neck and unfolded his scarf to get access to the place where his pulse was. With this done, she simply hid her nose in the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply. He smelled like cedar wood cologne water she gave him for Christmas. Like the wind and freedom. Like the adventure and mystery. It was exciting… and calming at the same time.

The little harsh skin on Albert's jaw stroked her temple and then, the cheekbone as she ascended to her favourite part. Her lips found the spot just below his ear, the spot she had found out was so incredibly sensitive. A perfect spot to place a little, soft kiss…

A long, deep sigh came out of Albert's mouth. A little, soft kiss…

"I was mistaken…" she murmured, with her lips travelling slowly back towards his lips. "You are sweeter than the muffin…"

Two strong arms encircled her waist and slowly pulled her up, onto his lap. Two warm palms, framed her face and held it firmly in place. Their lips met in a short but hard and intense kiss. Two warm palms, forcing her gently to back away and held her in place only few inches from his face.

"Have you got _any_ idea what you are doing to me, woman?" he asked her with a change in his voice.

She didn't know how it was possible, but his usual deep blue eyes looked strangely darkened. But it didn't matter. She loved every shade of this blue.

"None whatsoever." she lied with a coquettish smile. "Please," she begged, rising one eyebrow, "enlighten me."

He swallowed and she saw how his eyes narrowed slightly at her. "During the moments like this one," he whispered hoarsely as if his throat had dried out and he had difficulty speaking, "I feel as if I had liquid mercury in my veins instead of blood. It boils and burns without destroying anything. Thanks to you, Candy…" he brushed her entire face with his palm, "…thanks to you I'm discovering a completely new meaning of the word 'desire'."

She didn't hesitate about the answer. "Then that makes two of us, suffering from the same symptoms." she said quietly. "And… and after all these months, it still doesn't cease to both amaze and scare me."

"Scare you?" he asked with a slight frown, getting serious, "You're not frightened of me, are you?"

"Not of you, no, never!" She shook her head. "Just of the intensity of it all."

"Then that makes two of us." he replied, repeating her own words and they both smiled warmly at each other.

For a good few moments they just sat there, silent, looking into each other eyes with a specific warmth that can only be created by trust. With their hands lovingly caressing each others hair and face, they exchanged a warm and intimate smile. They gave in to a soft embrace, waiting for their heart rates to slow down.

"Now, don't get me wrong, sweetheart, I would like to sit like this with you all day…" Albert spoke finally, with his usual voice, "… but we need to get moving. We still have another twenty miles to go and if we keep stopping, we won't get there until midnight."

Candy laughed softly and slipped off Albert's lap back and back onto her seat, letting him ignite the engine again. Only now, when she looked outside the window, she noticed that they had parked on a shoulder covered with snow. Here and there, tufts of the old grass peeked out from underneath the snow and then she understood now why the car juddered just before stopping.

"Now, be a good girl…" Albert added when they got back on the road and the car began gaining speed again. "…be a _really_ good girl and pour me some coffee would you?"

Stretching her hand, Candy reached to the car floor for the forgotten flask. She twisted the cover, serving also as a cup, and then she removed the stopper securing the neck of the flask. Holding the cup in her left hand, she poured the hot liquid into the cup. She took a little sip and handed it to Albert.

She watched him as he removed his hand from the steering wheel to receive the cup from her. She watched as with one, smooth movement, he brought the cup up to his mouth. She watched him as he drank and then let out a contented sigh. She watched him as he carried on driving. With one hand. Without showing _any_ signs of having difficulty driving with just one hand. Of course, she should have known.

She didn't mention her observation in any way but Albert noticed her pouty smile and meaningful gaze. A sudden, cheeky smile brightened his face. "But of course I can drive using only one hand." he said, "You doubted me?"

O O O

Gianluca Castellani was proud of his restaurant. "A family business, so we treat all customers as family guests" was his grandfather's motto when 'Castellani's' first opened and to this very day, the motto remained. And it was a family business; it always had been. It started off as a tiny cafeteria with only six tables on the ground floor of his grandfather's house, whereas Grandma Elena baked her cakes, grandpa Luigi himself personally served the guests, and now, three decades later, it still had all the positions in the restaurant occupied by family members. A few things had changed since then; as they had bought the house next door, they had more space now for twenty tables, and they were serving a full sea food menu instead of just cakes and coffee. And it was busier, much busier.

There were problems through the previous years but Gianluca was always too optimistic to worry too much about it. The biggest thorn in the otherwise smooth running of business was of course, Prohibition, banning selling any type of alcohol. And that was something grandpa Luigi could not abide with. They couldn't possibly spoil the traditional fish dish by serving some ridiculous soft drink so popular nowadays, could they? The fish went down well _only_ with vino bianco*23*, everybody knew that and that's how things will stay in 'Castellani's', no matter what, he had said to himself. And that's why Gianluca carefully read all the laws that were established. And he had found the solution, a loophole that could satisfy their family senior. "We can't sell the regular, strong wine, papa," he had said to his father, Mario. They were both in charge now since grandpa had retired. "…so we make our own, light one, with less than 5% alcohol, like they allow!" It worked and it has been four years since then.

'Castellani's' still stood where it was first located; a mile away from Waukegan Harbour. As the number of the buildings grew in numbers through the passing years, the lake wasn't visible from here anymore, but one could still smell its unmistakable fragrance in the air, especially if one was dining in the restaurant's back garden. This garden, together with the warm, homely, domestic atmosphere and traditional Italian cooking, was key to the business' success. 'Castellani's' wasn't the biggest or the most popular restaurant in the city, but it did have its regular, faithful clientele and it was known not only amongst Gianluca's fellow-countrymen.

It was three minutes to three o'clock when the door opened and the new guests entered. Gianluca, busy polishing the coffee cups and the cutlery, left the task to his teenage niece and went to greet them warmly. As the tall, blond man requested a table for two for dinner, Gianluca glanced at him curiously. It was a little early for regular dinner time but he wasn't going to question his customers' preferences. As the restaurant hadn't reached its peak hours yet and there were plenty of tables to choose from, he led the young couple to the tables near the wall. Those were a favourite for his clientele; wooden screens separated the tables from each other, they gave the impression of privacy and discretion and they were all always occupied through the entire evening. Handing them the printed house menus, he left them, bowing politely, to give them a moment to make up their minds.

As he stood behind the counter, serving also at a bar, he temporarily went back to his previous task of cleaning the cutlery. While doing that, he turned his head slightly so he could now have a better view of his guests. They made him curious from the start. The other customers that were present here at the moment were regulars and he knew them by name, but those two were total strangers to him. As a restaurateur he had to memorize many faces and he was sure that he had never seen those two before. They were both blond, and at first, he mistook them for siblings, but now, as he watched them more carefully, he had changed his mind. Their hair colour wasn't identical. While the woman's long hair was golden and curly, the man's was only wavy and nearly white-blond. But that wasn't the deciding detail. No woman in the world would look at a man this way if he was her brother, Gianluca thought and smiled knowingly. The two young people were sitting on the opposite sides of the table and didn't make any obvious physical contact like holding hands or anything like that but just by the looks they were giving each other, he could tell that he was looking at a couple very much in love, for which he had no doubts. In love but not married yet, for he spotted no wedding rings on their fingers.

After a few minutes of a quiet but intense consultation with his companion the man nodded towards Gianluca's direction, letting him know that they were ready to order. Once again, he left the cleaning of the cutlery to his niece. He approached the table, smiled widely and produced his pocket notebook to write down their choice.

"We will have _'Seashell brisè with salmon and shrimps'_ and '_Vol au vent with chicory and fondue'_ for starters." The man began, "And one platter of _'Agnolotti alla Piemontese'_ as a first dish."

"Excellent, Signore." He confirmed. "And the main course?"

_"Veal filetto with truffle cream, roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables."_

Gianluca noted this down quickly and glanced at the blond woman. He wouldn't have called her a classical beauty but her face radiated so much charm that he quickly stopped noticing her freckles and slightly pug nose. What definitely stood out in this pretty face was definitely a pair of huge, green eyes, sparkling as she looked at the blond man. No wonder the man looked like he could drown in them, Gianluca told himself, smiling inwardly. "Any desert for the young lady?" he asked.

"I think we can decide later, once we are done with those promising delightfulness." she replied with a soft but surprisingly firm voice and Gianluca quickly corrected his previous judgment. He had initially thought she looked so young, no older than eighteen, maybe nineteen. But now she appeared to be older than he had thought, twenty two or twenty three.

"If you need anything at any time, my friends, you just call me." Gianluca nodded. "And for now, do you wish to have wine with your fish dish?"

"You sell wine?" the blond man was visibly surprised.

"Only Vino Bianco della Casa, white, home made, and weak, but yes, we do." Gianluca confirmed. "Two types: grape or apple and peach."

"Peach?" the woman asked. "That's… unusual."

"It's my great grandfather's recipe." Gianluca straightened up proudly.

"We won't deny that then, Signor Castellani." The man curled his lips in a slight but clearly contented smile. "One glass of each please."

"Very well my friends. Gianluca at your service!" he spread his arms in his trademark gesture and bowed theatrically before them. "I will be back with you in no time."

The couple laughed friendlily and then the blond man spoke again, "No reason to rush, Signor Castellani. We have plenty of time."

"Hey, speak for yourself, Albert!" the young woman protested facetiously, "I'm dying to eat something!"

"I changed my mind, Signor Castellani." The man rolled his eyes and shook his head slowly. It could look like as if he was highly distressed but the smile still plastered on his face contradicted the gesture. "No point arguing with women when they want something."

"Hey," said the young woman's playful voice once again, "you were the one who wanted me to be ravenously hungry, remember?"

It was Gianluca's turn to laugh. Right now he already felt completely disarmed with their openness. He liked them more, the more he talked to them. One glance of his experienced eye at their clothing from the beginning allowed him to qualify them as those who surely belonged to the high, richer class of society except they didn't behave like them. He had served enough arrogant rich men and their emancipated young women to decide that he didn't like them much. The same applied to a few of those from the older generation of 'alta società' who sometimes visited his restaurant. They perhaps weren't as loud and blatant as the youngsters but deep down they behaved in the same arrogant way, only disguised by the façade of good manners. But these two were different. Judging by their clothing, he would say that they did belong with those rich ones, and the way in which they were speaking told him that they were also very well educated. And yet, there was something about them that argued with the usual picture of the representation of the 'old fortunes' or 'new rich'. They behaved so naturally as if they cared neither for all those strict post-Edwardian godersi la vita (savoir vivre) rules nor for the noisy and exaggeratedly bold way so trendy amongst 'the flaming youth' nowadays. They appeared to be… just themselves. Interesting. The young woman simply spread her natural charm and glee around and the man seemed to be more self-contained than her but he also betrayed a hidden but lively sense of humour. And the sense of humour was something Gianluca rated very highly.

"Gianluca at your service… Signorina," he repeated, bowing towards the young woman. Then, with a jovial smile, reserved only for his favourite guests, he added, "There is no better news for a restaurateur than a hungry customer! I'm on my way to the kitchen to push my dear lazy-bones to work!"

Her warm, friendly laughter accompanied him as he walked towards the bar.

In the kitchen he quickly gave the orders to his family and everyone turned to their assigned tasks. There was no time to pause or take a break any longer than a few minutes in this job, once the restaurant was opened at lunchtime. All his family worked here with him: his mother, father, his older sister, his niece and his wife, Monica. Even his two little boys, Roberto and Davide were helping out with some of the cleaning when they were off school. That was the way he had started himself when he was a boy and that's how he was going to teach his sons.

When he got back to the bar, he noticed that the young couple wasn't at the table anymore. His curiosity made him look around for them and he spotted them by the door at the back part of the restaurant. The garden, of course, he smiled to himself. He glanced at the main dining area. There were no new arrivals and the place was still relatively pretty quiet. Soon this situation was going to change but for now, he could spare a few minutes for his guests. Slowly, he approached the couple and cleared his throat to draw their attention.

"Signor Castellani," the woman acknowledged him with a smile, "we were just admiring your garden."

The couple turned again towards the double wooden door with the glass windows and looked again at the open space. The first thing that stood out from this point of view was a large patio made out of wood. The roof above it protected both the floor and the wooden square tables from being completely covered with snow. Except for a tiled path, the patio was surrounded by the lawn. It must have been carefully manicured because the thin layer of the snow blanketing it was perfectly flat, without any protruding irregularities or even a single odd grass blade. There were a few other various and bigger objects that decorated the garden: a well, painted in white and with a thick cast iron semi circle above it, a mini rock garden which now looked as if somebody had stacked up a pile of snowballs, a clump of phragmites grew near a little frozen pond, complete with a bridge crossing above it. The day was still bright but the tall, spruce trees surrounding the garden, drowned everything below it in a secretive shadow.

Gianluca observed with pleasure the admiration of the view on his guests' faces. He didn't have to look at the garden for he knew every square inch of it. It was written in his body as he had personally worked on every detail, hand in hand with his entire family.

"I'm delighted to hear that." he replied. "It's our pride, all the Castellani's have worked on it."

"It is indeed an excellent idea to have a summer garden." The man said, looking at the patio. "I take it you must be busy during the season otherwise you wouldn't have so many tables outside"

_A man with a careful eye and a businessman as well, _Gianluca noted mentally. "We are," he admitted, "but we try not to overload. The atmosphere for the guests comes first. Quality over quantity."

The man turned to him slightly and nodded with appreciation.

"Signor Castellani, is that well at the back real?" the woman asked. "It looks old."

"It's real and it looks old because it is old," Gianluca admitted, "from the first half of the previous century. We found it when we first bought this house. And even though it is unused, it still works."

"It's beautiful…" she mused. And then, she turned to him with a passion that animated her green eyes. "Signor Castellani, I know the garden is closed for the winter, but is there a possibility I could go outside and see it?"

Gianluca looked intriguingly at the young woman before him. He had heard many compliments from his guests – about the food, about the interior, about the colourful flowers decorating the rock garden in the summer or the stunning effect of the electric lanterns that he would switch on after sunset, but not many people asked him about the well. And the thing was, this well was his favourite object here, the one he had personally restored from its ruined condition and painted in the original colours. And now, looking into those green eyes, shining with curiosity, he felt that he couldn't deny her plea even if he wanted. And he didn't.

"Be my guest, Signorina." he replied.

Pleased with his answer, the young woman then turned to go back to their table, where they left their garments. But she didn't get as far as to do a full turn for the blond man was standing next to her holding out her coat.

"Perhaps you will need this?" he addressed her, smirking.

_When did this happen?_ Gianluca wondered in surprise. It seemed only mere moments ago when she asked her request and he could swear that the man was standing right next to her throughout the whole time. _He moves quietly like a cat!_

The young woman slipped her arms inside the sleeves and while she was buttoning up the front, he reached into his pocket where he carried all the keys and unlocked the door. A moment later the door stood opened, letting the cold air in. It had only been opened for a few seconds but that was more than enough, the young woman had already stepped outside and walked down a few wooden steps that lead onto the tiled path. She didn't stop at the patio where the path ended either; she stepped gently onto the snow and headed straight for the well, leaving a trail of her shoeprints behind her.

"A mature woman and still curious like a child, a?" Gianluca said, smiling knowingly to the young man.

The blond man turned his head towards him and looked at him carefully.

"You probably wonder how I know?" Gianluca risked. "My wife is the same; never ending curiosity. Life is never boring with a women like her."

The man smiled and nodded in acknowledgment and turned once again towards the window. Gianluca did the same. Outside the garden, a dark silhouette could be seen standing next to the well. He saw as the young woman stretched out her hand to touch the stylized cast iron bar above the opening. She cocked her head to the side and let her hand stroke the ornaments in a slow, mused like gesture. It seemed that at this moment, she was both focused and lost. Lost to the world that surrounded her.

"Those carvings were made nearly a hundred years ago by one of the locals, a very talented craftsman." Gianluca said. "Is the young lady studying arts, by any chance?"

"No, she doesn't." The man replied. "My Candy…" he hesitated for a second as if he was trying to choose the right words, smiled enigmatically and continued, "…_feels_ art. She values simple, hand made things."

However odd it might have sounded, Gianluca believed him. Some people needed to see famous cathedrals, great paintings or huge sculptures to say that they saw art. And then there were some, the ones capable of seeing art in the most small and inconspicuous of things. This woman seemed to be one of them.

The sound of the front door opening came from behind them and Gianluca blinked, snapping back to reality. As much as he wanted to enjoy the conversation with this nice young couple, he knew his place and he didn't want to appear nosy. Besides, the door opening meant only one thing, new guests had arrived and he mustn't neglect them.

"I will lock the door later, Signore." He said and getting back to the playful tone of his voice. "And don't be too long my friends, your meal will be ready soon!"

"We won't miss it, Signor Castellani, don't worry."

Gianluca laughed heartily and left the man alone.

He didn't have much time to talk to them. Soon after he had served their meal, more guests had begun arriving, one after another and just like every day, he had his hands full of work. The tables couldn't serve themselves! But once in a while, he would glance it the general direction of the tables by the wall. The blond couple was still sitting there, nearly oblivious to the rest of the world that surrounded them. He wasn't surprised at all. They had their own private world and it seemed pretty enough for them. _A couple at the first stages of being in love, _he decided once again in his thoughts.

His wife frowned when he told her to turn the gramophone on and play some romantic music.

"Have you fallen on your head, Luca?" she said firmly. Officially he was in charge but the truth was, his wife also had a deciding voice in many aspects in running of the business. "A gramophone on a regular day, just like that?"

"Monni, cara…" he cajoled, calling her by a name he only used in their private moments, "It is a usual day for you and me but not for everybody else. Let all the guests enjoy some of our good, Italian music, a?"

"All the guests? You want me to believe you are in such a generous mood?" she interrupted him. "What have you been drinking?"

She sniffed the air around him suspiciously and he laughed soundly out at that. "Va bene, va bene, cara*24*, I'll tell you the truth. It's not for all the guests. See those kids there…?" he turned her towards the tables and nodded discreetly in the couple's direction. "When I served them their meals, he told me that this is their belated Valentine's Day. He explained that they are both working so much that they didn't have any free time for each other on Wednesday*25*. Come on, Monni," he insisted, "I haven't seen a couple so much in love for such a very long time and I can't help but like them! They remind me of us, when I was courting you…" he coaxed again. "Let's show them the romantic atmosphere that 'Castellani's' is famous for!"

"But it's still too bright!" she tried to protest but it didn't sound convincing.

"We close the curtains then." he proposed.

"Eh, you and your weakness for the enamoured…" she said as a-matter-of-factly, but her soft smile contradicted her words. Shaking her head she went on with his request. First, she took out all the lanterns from the cupboard and began lighting the candles enclosed within them. The lanterns were handmade especially for the restaurant, they were leading framed and had multicoloured glass set within them in an almost perfect sphere. It stood four inches high and complimented the table very well. Once all lit, she discreetly carried them to the tables, placing a single lit lantern in the middle of each one. While she did this, Gianluca flipped the switches on the wall behind the bar and the lights came on. However, they were so dim that nobody noticed them at first. His wife walked to the front window and gently pulled at a cord, slowly drawing the thick, heavy curtains together. The combined effect of these simple actions was stunning.

Once all the remaining daylight from the outside ceased to enter the establishment, the restaurant was enveloped in darkness. But it wasn't a complete darkness. It was like a soft dusk, lightened by the dim lights of the lamps attached to the walls and the playfully flickering lights of the candles. It felt as if somebody had flipped a switch and magically turned daytime into night. Gianluca didn't let up his gaze of the couple. And he wasn't disappointed. As they realized the change in the lights, they looked around in surprise. He saw their wide opened eyes as they absorbed the atmosphere of this moment and how they smiled when their eyes met each other again. Well, if they like _that,_ they were going to have another nice surprise too!

Gianluca searched with his eyes for his wife and gave her a nod. She understood and looked in the same direction. As she noticed what he saw, a small smile formed on her lips. Pleased with the effect their actions had on the young couple, she went to the gramophone hidden in a niche near the bar. She stood there whilst she read the labels on the vinyl records stored on the shelf above, then she chose one, took it out of the thin, cardboard case and placed it on the spinning, rubber plate. As she lowered the needle, the delicate notes of old, Italian love ballad echoed within the room.

Gianluca once again looked at the couple. If they were nicely surprised before, now they looked delighted. The young woman's face simply radiated happiness.

"See, cara?" he said to his wife when she joined him behind the bar. "It worked. Now they are even more happy! Maybe she even thinks it was his idea! And another happy customer…"

"…is very likely to become a frequent customer." Monica finished. "Whatever you do, it is all for your business!"

"Oh, really?" he teased. "And how about if later on tonight, when all the guests are gone, maybe we both stay here a bit longer, have some of papa's wine and dance to the music from the gramophone… How do you like that business, a?"

"Luca, Luca, your mind is always so full of foolishness!" she wagged her finger at him.

"That's why I married such a practical woman like you, to balance me!" he replied, knowing very well she was as romantic as he was, if not more. The song she chose provided irrefutable proof of that.

Monica only rolled her eyes and retreated into the kitchen.

Taking advantage of the quiet moment in the restaurant when everyone seemed to be busy with their meals, Gianluca got back to his endless task of cleaning the cutlery. As he glanced above all the tables, he realized that the young couple wasn't the only one pleased with the nice atmosphere. Their bright, smiling faces were seen all over the place. _Maybe it would be a good idea to have music everyday, _he thought to himself.

He wondered about that for precisely one minute, for soon, he had no time to wonder as one by one, couple by couple, more guests began arriving, intrigued by the closed curtains and the music permeating through the glass door. There were actually so many of them that the restaurant soon ran out of the tables and he was forced to turn people away. They were so busy that he had to go upstairs and ask his father to temporarily help him serve the customers.

So busy was Gianluca taking orders, serving, cleaning and dealing with payments that he didn't notice the time pass by. He could have sworn that only fifteen minutes had passed when in fact, it had been more than an hour. That's why he was surprised when he saw the young couple getting ready to leave.

O O O

"I can't remember when I last ate such a delicious dinner!" Candy exclaimed, finishing slowly her portion of apple pie with cinnamon. Albert had already finished and now he was paying the bill. "Signor Castellani, you have marvellous chefs! And this pie…" she pointed gently with her fork, "…is a masterpiece!"

"My wife will be delighted to hear you liked her cooking." the restaurateur smiled broadly. "We have a hired chef, my mama is helping too but it is my wife who is in charge of all the cakes and desserts."

"Would you mind if I thank her personally?" she asked.

"Well, that is… unusual," he replied, clearly surprised, but still smiling, "but again, she will be delighted, I'm sure of it. I will summon her here in a moment."

"That's okay, I can wait by the bar."

Albert only glanced at her as she stood up and walked towards the counter before focusing on the bill again. He counted the money, adding a notable tip and handed it to their host. "Signor Castellani, we've had a wonderful time." he said. "If we lived closer I would be coming here everyday!"

"Grazie, my friend." the restaurateur replied. "It would be a real pleasure if your paths led you to Waukegan again."

"I wish. And, Signor Castellani…" he held the host's gaze with his eyes and then nodded meaningfully towards the gramophone. "…thank you for the music."

But to his surprise the man firmly shook his head. "No, no, no, my friend. All for beautiful women! Good luck to both of you, to you and to Signorina Candy." he added with secretive tone. "Never let go of her!"

Albert couldn't help but smile warmly at this open and friendly advice. "I won't, Signor Castellani, I won't." he assured him.

.

Candy waited patiently at the bar, watching the guests at the other tables and a young waitress busy serving coffee. When the owner passed by her, she smiled at him, silently guessing that he was going to get his wife. And she was right; when the door opened again, Signor Castellani came out and was followed by a tall woman. She had noticed her briefly before at the bar but it wasn't only until now could she look at her more closely. The woman looked like she was older than herself by only a little over ten years. She had a very pretty face, expressive, dark brown eyes that conveyed her intelligence. Her dark hair was tied neatly into a bun but Candy had no doubts and was sure that it was long.

"Signorina Candy…this is my wife, Monica." the host quickly introduced them and then pointed at the steaming plates of food on the tray which he was carrying. "Now, forgive me, I must serve this immediately."

"Signora Monica, I won't take too long." Candy smiled to the woman as the owner headed off in the direction of another soon to be satisfied customer. "I only wanted to thank you for the fantastic pie."

"Thank you," the dark haired woman smiled warily, "it's nothing special, I'm only following the family recipe and tradition."

Candy was having none of her modesty. "Oh, don't be so demure. The dessert was simply seventh heaven!" she said, without hesitation she clasped the woman's hand. "I wish I could cook something like that."

Oddly, Monica's looked down at their joined hands and her face showed signs of visible distress. "I'm so sorry, Miss…" she apologized, trying to remove her hand, "I had some flour on me… and I stained your jacket… I will clean it for you, I promise…"

Candy looked at her sleeve. The cuff did indeed have a small smudge just on the edge. "Flour?" she laughed quietly and cordially squeezed the woman's hand with both hers. "You should see what _my _hands are covered with when I'm working!"

"So you really work?" Monica was evidently surprised, forgetting about the stain. "Where?"

"In one of the hospitals in Chicago." she replied cheerfully. "As a nurse."

As if she couldn't contain herself, Monica looked Candy up and down. "You don't look like a typical nurse. You seem… too tiny!" she exclaimed honestly.

"And you don't look like a typical cook. You seem too pretty." Candy retorted immediately.

For a second they just kept looking at each other silently and then, at the same time, they both started to laugh quietly. It was one of those moments when one person feels a connection and recognizes it within another being, even if it was just for a fleeting moment in time. "Monica, where are you?" came another female voice from the kitchen, breaking the magic. "Veloce, veloce*26*, we need you!"

"It was very nice to meet you." Candy said, once again shaking the woman's hand, not wanting to withhold her any longer from her duties. "If I come back here again, I will ask you for the recipe!"

"It was my pleasure too." Monica nodded. "Next time I will try to make it taste even better!"

And with those words and still smiling, she turned away and walked back into the kitchen.

Candy went back to the table where Albert was waiting. He already had his coat on and there was a noticeable smirk on his face.

"Making friends everywhere you go, I see?"

"Call it a bad habit." she shrugged.

Like before, he held the coat out for her but this time he additionally pulled her closer for a moment and kissed the top of her hair. His hand slid from her arm onto her waist and remained there when he motioned her to the exit.

At the door they both turned to bid their farewells to Gianluca. He replied from afar, with his trademark bow and wide smile.

"How weird…" she said when they stepped outside, "…it felt like it was night time inside but outside it's still quite bright."

"It's not even five o'clock, nearly an hour left before sunset." he replied.

They got inside the car which was parked on a nearby side street and Albert manoeuvred back onto Grand Avenue. Here, unlike in Chicago, the cars on the street were few and far between, it took them less than three minutes before they approached the junction with Sheridan Road, separating the city from the lake.

"Well then…" Albert said, clasping her hand, "Did you have a good time?"

"Isn't my sugary smile of delight an answer good enough?" she cooed. And immediately, getting a little more serious, she added, "'a good time' is a huge understatement. 'Wonderful' doesn't even reach half of how I felt. I can only say that I was… melting." She covered their joined hands with her right one and caressed Albert's fingers lovingly. "Thank you…"

Albert smiled warmly and replied with the same caress of his hand. Then, gently but firmly he removed his hand. A romantic atmosphere was one thing but they were at the junction and he needed both his hands to turn.

Once they were back on Sheridan Road, Candy pretended to persistently search for something imaginary in her purse. "So, Mr. Surprise…" she said innocently, "Where else are we going?"

"What do you mean by 'where else'?" Albert replied with the same innocent tone.

"The last time I checked, Chicago was down south, so we should have turned right at the junction. You turned _left,_" she pointed out, still extremely busy with her purse. "…and that means we are still going north. So, unless Chicago hiked up her skirt and quickly bounded towards the north while we were in the restaurant, I dare say that means we are going somewhere _else_ rather than back home."

Albert glanced at her silently, as if he ran out of words. His facial expression was indescribable; something between shock, helpless annoyance and… a sort of barely restrained amusement. Indescribable indeed.

"You didn't seriously think I believed that you wanted to take me all the way to Waukegan just for dinner?" she continued, this time looking straight at him. "I had a splendid time in 'Castellani's' but if you wanted to simply take me to a restaurant, you could have easily picked any one of those in Chicago. Come on, Mr. Mystery, what kind of Ace are you hiding up your sleeve?"

Albert couldn't hold himself any longer and burst out with helpless laughter. He laughed and laughed and laughed and stopped only when he realized that he was about to lose control of the steering wheel. "And I naively believed that I smartly diverted your attention by asking you about your work!" he uttered finally. "You would do nicely as a private investigator, you know?"

Still shaking his head, he reached for her hand again, lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "If you are capable of holding off for a moment, my dear Miss Inquisitive…" he looked at her with amusement and tenderness, "…you will find out soon. We are almost there."

The road straightened out ahead of them with nothing requiring any sudden manoeuvres and so he continued driving without letting go of her hand. Their fingers entwined again in a soft caress, stroking one against the other. A simple gesture, one more excuse to keep warm in a cold car…

The road led through the park, long and dark enough to be called a little forest. The trees that grew here were so close to each other that they covered the view on both sides of the road. That's why Candy was surprised when Albert suddenly turned right. This side road was so narrow she would have probably missed it if she was looking for it on her own. They carried on, driving slower as the road here was not made of concrete. And after a few more minutes of driving, they stopped at a big clearing. There were just trees all around, just two of them… and nobody else.

Without waiting for Albert, Candy got out the car. Holding the open door she inhaled deeply the fresh, forest fragrance and let out a contented sigh. Oh, how she missed being in the wild! Nothing could ever replace the real, untouched forests and this irreplaceable, wonderful smell! The parks in Chicago, even the biggest ones, always had their borders, they were limited by roads, houses and they were often… so tame. And there was always this unavoidable smell of smog, created by the smoke coming from the nearest houses' chimneys and various factories. But here… Here, there was just the unmistakable fragrance of old leaves, wet branches, hinted with the cool mist that came from the snow…and the fresh breeze? Of course, the lake! They couldn't be that far from the shore.

"Are you going to ruin the rest of my plans by standing there instead of going with me?"

She turned. Albert was standing by the car trunk with a sizeable leather bag hanging from his shoulder from an equally sizeable leather strap.

He noticed her curious glance and smirked. "Before you ask…" he said, before she could cut in. "…yes, this is part of the surprise but I will say no more until the time is right. Now, come with me."

Leaving the clearing behind, Albert walked into the forest. She followed. The path between the trees was so narrow that initially she had to walk behind him. But walking was easy, as the ground was even and hardened by the frost. And soon enough she could see the shimmering of the icy blue water between the trees. They were approaching the lake shore.

"Now, I want you to close your eyes." said Albert as he stopped and turned towards her.

She did as he had asked. A moment later, she felt him standing behind her. He then proceeded to cover her eyelids with his scarf. He placed his hands on her shoulders and started to motion her forwards, she began walking again.

By the sound of the thin branches brushing over her right sleeve she was guessing that they were passing by another of the many wild bushes she saw before she closed her eyes. They couldn't be far… They should reach the beach soon…

The first indication of change in terrain came from under her shoes. The ground, hard and firm before, now seemed to give way slightly under her feet. And somehow she sensed that there were no more wild plants around. A few more steps and Albert held her shoulders firmer, stopping her in place.

"There's been gossip of Candice White, craving for some real space recently." He said, as he untied the scarf. "Here we go then!"

Candy blinked and the view that greeted her eyes made her gasp out loud in amazement. Yes, she needed open space but _this _amount of space was simply breathtaking.

She assumed this beach to be narrow like the one she knew from Chicago, but to her surprise, it looked nothing at all like she expected. _This_ beach was so wide that she would probably have needed at least a minute of brisk perambulation to get from where they stood now to the water's edge and it was so long, she couldn't tell where it began and where it ended. Candy took a deep breath of the crisp clean air. Turning, she tried to embrace everything around.

The beach stretched leisurely in both directions, more than half the area was still covered in snow with the white frozen sand just barely visible near the edge of the shoreline. The first few meters of water were hidden under ice. Further down, behind the ice the endless surface of Lake Michigan sparkled icily in the late winter sunlight. Mini icebergs, no bigger than a giant snowball, could be seen bobbing up and down. The lake at this point was much wider than in Chicago and with the opposite bank not visible, the horizon was clear and it seemed to be stretching to infinity. All around them and at random intervals, there were small sand dunes scattered here and there, still covered in snow with tall tufts of dried golden grass protruding out from underneath the cold blanket, casting dark blue shadows across the whiteness of snow as if trying to get away from the sun.

With no one around and nobody to be seen, it seemed like their own personal seaside. The truth was, it _was_ still winter and nobody was out, except for two maniacs who were capable of even thinking about enjoying a cold day out on the beach.

"Oh my…" she sighed, when she was finally able to speak. "What a view! I'm feeling so tiny!"

Albert smiled with understanding. "Welcome to the club." He said, hugging her tighter.

Candy turned in his arms slightly and lifted her face towards him. "How is that I live only forty miles away, knowing nothing of this place?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Would you believe that I didn't know either until last week?" he replied. "I found out when I had a meeting with our mayor. He had a painting of the summer beach on the wall and I initially thought that it presents the beach in Florida. But the type of flora didn't add up and I asked the mayor about it. I couldn't believe that such a stunning view could be found in our Illinois."

"Now I will envy all citizens of Waukegan." Candy sighed. "Gosh, it must be crowded in the summer in here!"

"Probably," he agreed, "but not for long. We are standing on the land created by the glacial advance and retreat and somebody in state administration acknowledged it as unique enough to protect. The plans of making a preserve here are already in action*27*. But right now…" he stretched out his hand in a welcoming gesture, "…it's all ours!"

Candy's facial expression changed. Disappeared was the shock from the encounter with such a stunning view. In its place a joyous smile widened her lips, and it widened with each passing second. Finally, she turned towards the lake, gently freed herself from his arms and stepped forward.

"It feels…" she shouted, spreading her arms widely and laughing cheerfully, "It feels as if I was let out of a cage!"

Letting her head drop back and staring at the sky, she began twirling around. It looked nothing like any dance that could be seen in a ballrooms or nightclubs. She was dancing to her inner music, inaudible to anybody else. For a moment, he regretted he couldn't hear it. But it was okay. This was her moment.

He turned away and began walking along the beach. Right now she was enjoying her little freedom and he was going to let her have it private. She would join him sooner or later and he knew it.

He stopped for a moment by a lonely young oak tree, growing at the base of the dune. It seemed as if it was planted here by accident but oddly, it fitted in with this place. Young, but already powerful, like this entire area. It had to be, if was alive after the violent storm from the previous autumn. He stroked the bark gently with his fingertips and smiling, began walking again.

He finally stopped a few meters from the tree, near the wall made out of sharp rocks. They were covered entirely with ice and snow and were unsuitable for sitting on so he limited himself to pressing his back against the tallest of them. The bag he carried since they had left the car was left, lying at his feet.

The lake drew his gaze like a magnet. Somewhere there, east, invisible from here, laid Wyoming. Further north-east – his beloved Michigan. The waters of the lake reached far north, way beyond the horizon. Such a spacious view had indeed something great in it.

_She is right, _he thought, smiling. _Being in a place like this indeed feels like being let out the cage…_

He knew it was the right decision to take her here. This place was speaking to them and they both could hear its words. He predicted that the first moment he stood here, last week and he wasn't mistaken.

The joyful laughter increased and he turned his head towards it. Candy was now near the tree and he watched with fondness, fascinated as she twirled around it in her own interpretation of the dance of joy. Her unbuttoned coat floated around her body like an open sail. Right now he saw her, the real Candy, the one that lived under the layers of everyday masks and behind the roles she had to play. This was her real, primary self, sometimes covered but always resurfacing, brightening the world around. That was the wonderfully wild Candy he loved so passionately. That was the unruly creature who loved the nature as much as he did. He was sure that if he suddenly had to go and live in the complete middle of nowhere for the rest of his life, he would still feel happy and completed, for as long as she was there with him.

Without knowing, as if drawn by an invisible thread, he took a few steps towards her. She noticed his move and still dancing, she began moving in his direction.

"I had no idea that I can meet a Dryad*28* in Illinois!" he yelled to her.

"Dryads don't wear heavy winter coats!" she retorted, panting. "And they are green!"

"You are the one in disguise then," he grinned cheekily, "but the colour of your eyes betrays you."

There was no reply. She just kept dancing until she reached the first of the two large, smooth stones, protruding through the snow right next to him. With one final step, she jumped on the top of it. But she underestimated its slippery surface. Seeing her, waving her hands in a desperate bid to regain her balance, he instinctively reached out with his arms and simply caught her in his embrace. Now they both span around, laughing and he put her back on the ground.

"Hey, I caught my own, wild Dryad!" he shouted merrily.

"Be careful…" she warned with a mischievous glimmer in her narrowed eyes, "Didn't you know that Dryads don't tolerate mankind? I read that they eat the men for breakfast! Like this…"

He laughed again as she pretended to eat his neck. His hands tumbled in a mass of her curls and growling quietly, he gently pulled her away from his body. "Come on, my bloodthirsty Dryad." he said, bending over to pick up the bag. "We don't want to miss the sunset, do we?"

The snow crunched under their shoes as they walked, hand in hand, towards the water's edge. Soon, they got to this part, where the snow ended, probably washed away by the tide. It stretched like a narrow ribbon all along the shore. They crossed it and stepped on the thick layer of ice that covered the shoreline.

Albert searched for a flat spot among the many of the ice plates and dropped his bag gently onto the ground. Next to him, still holding his hand, Candy was standing motionlessly, mused, looking at the horizon.

"Still feeling tiny?" he asked, pulling her into his embrace again.

"Hmm…" she nodded slowly. "I guess… I guess this is how looking into infinity could influence people."

He just had to turn her towards him and look in her face. Somehow, gone was the wild Candy from few minutes ago. It was as if with each step she took down the beach she left the unruly creature behind and again became just a lowly human being, wondering at the miracle of creation. There was no sadness in this wondering; just a pure, unaltered amazement. It was another, new Candy. There were moments like this one, when she would simply astonish him with her boundless understanding. He thought he knew her to the core – but right now he realized that she still had more things to surprise him. He had loved her like forever, but now he realized that his love in the past was nothing in comparison to the love he felt today. And it will be still growing with each passing day, with each passing year… From a curious little girl and sometimes careless teenager, she was becoming the most captivating woman he had ever met and he knew there will be no others like her. Not to him. To him, there was only her.

He didn't say anything, letting his eyes speak of the depths of the feeling that was drowning him right now. It rose within him and swelled the notes he chose with some unrestrained power. He knew they will sound right.

Candy stood, almost hypnotized by the change in Albert's face. His gaze was serious and so intense she quivered. But there was no regular sparkle of a desire in there, no, there was something else. He looked… inflamed? Yes, that was the word. Inflamed. And it had nothing to do with the orange beams of sunlight, lowering itself just above the horizon. This intensity came from within him. And it was so strong that she could nearly feel its pulse in the air.

It was time, he decided. Letting go of his beloved, he squatted next to the bag and one by one, he undid all the three buckles. With the straps loose, he opened the bag and removed its contents. Before Candy could realize what he was holding, he quickly put the supporting strap around his neck and stood up. Only then, fully ready, he turned towards her.

"That's your bagpipes!*29*" she said, completely surprised.

Albert didn't reply; just smiled enigmatically again and turned slightly, facing the lake. He placed the thin blowpipe between his lips, took a deep breath and blew. He repeated the process, filling up the leather bag with the air until it was full. When it was done, he breathed deeply once more and gently squeezed the bag with his left arm.

A single, little tremulant tone hesitantly cut through the cold, crystal air. _The snail is running… _Candy smiled briefly at the memory.

A sad tone oscillated, more and more and after a moment, Albert reached with his right hand to one of the drones*30* lying over his left shoulder and clutched his fingers on something she recognized as a tuning screw*31*. It had been years since then, but she still remembered, although vaguely, how, soon after she had found out of his true identity, he told her how bagpipes was built.

As he twisted the tuning screw, another, lower tone joined in. And something weird happened. If the treble tone sounded somehow lonely and tearfully before, now supported by the bass one, it sounded strangely lighter. Both tones entwined into a calm consonance*32* and this steadiness was… soothing.

And then, Albert took a grip on the chanter*33*, sticking out from the bottom of the air bag and began to play the main melody.

It was something unreal in the way all the sounds mixed together. Maybe it was only in her imagination but she could swear that she could hear a childish frolic hidden behind the joyful syncopation*34*. The impression didn't last long, it seized after only few seconds, but it was there…

The variation changed. The calm, serene passages of the main melody seemed to be having a friendly dialog with both supporting background tones. It bathed, soaked and flooded the soul with balsamic warmth. And it was long; it went on and on, filling the air above the beach with magic.

But something changed again. Bit by bit, almost imperceptibly the minor tones began to slip into the cheerful theme and the melody gradually darkened. The two notes coming out off the drones; treble and bass, continued whilst the melody he played on the chanter seemed to cry. And this cry was much darker than the first note at the beginning of the song. It cried and cried, and cried…

Candy felt almost physically how the sadness enchanted within the music touched something deep inside her. She closed her eyes and gave her senses fully to the magic of the melodiousness melody of the piece. For the moment, everything around her stopped existing, so captivated she was by the harmony. She had no idea how he was doing it but instead of the usual sharp, loud sounds of the bagpipes, this time around, it carried softness and emotions that swelled with heartbreaking sadness and despair, with anger and helplessness and finally, with resignation and loneliness…

With all that has happened today, she felt like her heart couldn't contain any more emotions.

Why was it touching her so deeply, so thoroughly and so nearly painfully?

The main theme stopped abruptly with an unpleasant, false note, only an echo carried the last phrase out and above the water, as the two basic notes continued in the background. But the pause was short enough.

Albert began to play again. Initially, the improvised theme was uncertain and fitful, but to the contrary, the notes were major, bright. It sounded like a hesitant question, as if something strong was trying to break free, it carried a cheerful frolic again and finally, growing powerfully into passages filled up with passion…

And again, the echo carried the last phrase, as if it was asking a question… A few more seconds and with the repeated g-grace notes, the two background tones slowly died down too*35*.

And then, there was only silence. With the sound of naked branches swaying in the wind against the dunes behind them, Candy stood with her palm convulsively pressed against her chest. Her eyes were still tightly shut. She couldn't remember if she had ever been so deeply moved, so undefined that everything in her seemed to vibrate. And it was only when she felt a masculine hand on her cheek that she realized warm tears were rolling down her face. She opened her eyes; Albert stood before her, staring at her intensively.

"It was… I have no words, Albert…" she managed to say. "It was indescribably beautiful… Why did you stop playing?"

"Because there is no ending yet." he said with a tension in his voice. "It was a story, a story about us. About our lives up until today, up until now." He moved the bagpipes onto his hip and clasped her left hand gently. "The continuance depends on you, Candy…"

"On me?" she asked absently. Still dazed, she couldn't fully embrace what was happening.

"On you." Albert repeated. "In my ideal dream, I'm doing all this on the top of Pony's Hill but in reality we don't always get everything we want…" Saying this, he knelt down on one knee before her, reached into his pocket, produced a small red case and flicked it open. "Will you marry me, Candy?"

Candy's knees buckled under her and she dropped onto the ice in front of him. That's why, yes… That's why she was so moved while she listened… That's why the music touched her so deeply, echoed so strangely familiar within her soul… Because yes, oh yes, the entire piece was about them. It described without a word, everything that had happened since the day he had met her when she was only six years old. The notes of the joyful syncopation carried her back to her turbulent youth, when everything, even the worst of times seemed easier because she had him…her friend, her mysterious Mr. Albert, who would appear out of nowhere and disappear again God knows where but who simply was, nonetheless… He was like this stable bass note in the background; unwavering and constant. The dark part of the melody was a symbol of those years of their friendship, years of her pain, her tears, her pointless despair, pining after another man – and once again, here was there, and then for her, he was always at her side. The break in the theme was his absence – just as the resume symbolized this filled with hesitation the previous summer, when they reunited… He managed to also express the time that passed since then until now, the time spent together as a couple. And everything, all of this, enchanted in only few minutes of music…

She smiled, wiping away the warm tears that blurred her sight. Having being so focused on the noble, blue eyes before her, she didn't even think of looking at the red case he was still holding in his palm. She didn't need to look to guess its content. Her Prince, her Friend, her Man, her everything was asking her to marry him… On the day she had been thinking of asking _him_…

"I thought you would never ask…" she said with a tremble in her voice.

"Should I take that as…?" he paused.

"...as 'yes'."

"And no doubts?"

"Doubts?" she repeated in disbelief. _Doubts?_ "I am the happiest and will be the proudest woman on Earth to become your wife!"

A smile of pure happiness brightened his face and this view warmed up her heart even more.

Albert raised the box a little and she finally took a look at what was inside. There, in the middle of a little red velvet cushion, lay a ring made of gold. The adornment had a shape of a rose; its tiny petals were decorated with microscopic diamonds and between them sat a small, single cut emerald.

"But this looks like…" she stammered.

"…Sweet Candy for Candy White." he finished with a teasing tone. "I know this was the flower from Anthony but it suits you so well! But if you don't like it, if it's reviving too many memories…" he hesitated, "I can always change it…"

"No," she said, shaking her head, "it's fine. It is indeed my flower. It's beautiful, thank you."

Albert removed the ring from the velvet pillow and slipped the case back in his pocket. Supporting gently her palm with his left hand, he held the ring with his fingertips, he slowly slid it where it belonged; on her finger. Soon, he thought, soon another ring will be adorning this slender finger; their wedding ring. He was going to make sure that this will take place as soon as possible. If it was only up to him, he would have married her tomorrow. But there were some issues to be taken care of first and he wasn't going to let it go unfinished. Only when this was done – she will be his. He wouldn't wait a day longer than it was necessary.

He stood up, helping her up too. As she was rising up, he slid his arm around her waist and drew her gently towards him. He was kissing her just like his heart dictated; long and unhurriedly. Her lips were salty from her happy tears and sweet from the apple and cinnamon pie. She tasted heavenly. He drank from her, he drowned in her, to the point of intoxication.

"I love you, Candy." He said when their lips finally parted. If before he was drowning slowly in her mouth, now he was sinking in the emerald sea of her eyes. He would happily drown in them forever. "I've loved you for years but now I see I loved only the picture of you I created in my own dreams. Loving you, the _real_ you," he accentuated, "goes way beyond my bravest expectations."

The mist of her tears cleared and her gaze was bright now. "I love you too, Albert." she replied softly. "You are the biggest surprise of my life. I've had you by my side for almost all my life and yet, I had to lose you to realize fully what you mean to me and what my life without you could be. Having being with you gives me happiness I can't even begin to describe."

He smiled and slowly let go of her. Turning towards the lake, he moved the forgotten bagpipes from his hip and placed it under his left arm again. As he took the blowpipe in his mouth, he realized that he wouldn't be playing any ending to this song. It will be only a continuation, leading to another story, and another… for the rest of their lives.

Melancholic but bright, dreamy tones again filled up the air above the beach and stroking the waves, soared beyond the horizon.

Towards the setting sun, flooding the world with the royal purple and the noble gold no man can create.

And towards their future.

O O O

* * *

Footnotes (a mile long this time!):

*15* Moss grows on the north side of the trunk. Together with the fact that the south side of the tree has more and thicker branches than the north side (due to lesser access to the sunshine they are thinner and grow more vertically), this knowledge is very helpful when you get lost in the forest. Important: Everything is opposite on the Southern Hemisphere)

*16* Ether is more efficient than chloroform as an anaesthetic, but also more dangerous as it is extremely flammable.

*17* **Nitrous oxide**, today commonly known as happy gas or laughing gas, has been used for anaesthesia in dentistry since the 1840s. It is much less toxic than alternatives, such as chloroform, with far less risk of explosion than ether. The main use for N2O is usually as a mild sedative and analgesic.

*18* **Ethylene-oxygen** was indeed first used in Presbyterian Hospital in March 14, 192_3. (three weeks after their conversation!) _

*19* The first school of anaesthesia was established by mentioned Agnes McGee in 1909 in St. Vincent Hospital, Portland, Oregon.

*20* Candy was referring to Lakeside Hospital School of Anaesthesia in Cleveland, Ohio, established in 1915 by Agatha Hodgins (1877-1945)

*21* Agnes McGee was teaching 3rd year medical school students at the University of Oregon.

*22* 1922 Franklin Touring Sedan could go up to 40 m/ph

*23* Vino bianco – (Italian), white wine

*24* Bene, bene, cara… - (Italian) Okay, okay, dear

*25* February the 14th in 1923 was on Wednesday, I checked!

*26* Veloce, veloce! – (Italian) Quickly, quickly!

*27* Today the place is known as **Illinois Beach State Park. **Stretching for six and a half miles IBSP encompasses the only remaining beach ridge shoreline left in the state. Illinois Beach is a unique and captivating natural resource for all to enjoy. The park has dunes and swales with sprawling marshes, forests of oak and vast arrays of animal life and vegetation (more details on their website).

*28* Dryad – In Greek mythology, the tree nymphs.

*29* **Bagpipes** are a class of musical instrument, aero phones using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. A set of bagpipes minimally consists of an air supply, a bag, a chanter, and usually a drone. Most bagpipes also have additional drones (and sometimes chanters) in various combinations, held in place in stocks—connectors with which the various pipes are attached to the bag.

*30* Most bagpipes have at least one drone. A drone is most commonly a cylindrical tube with a single reed, although drones with double reeds exist. The drone is generally designed in two or more parts, with a sliding joint ("'bridle'") so that the pitch of the drone can be manipulated.

*31* Tuning screw - effectively alters the length of the drone by opening a hole, allowing the drone to be tuned to two or more distinct pitches. The tuning screw may also shut off the drone altogether so there is no sound coming out of it.

*32* In music, a **consonance** (Latin _com-_, "with" + _sonare_, "to sound") is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a **dissonance** (Latin _dis-_, "apart" + _sonare_, "to sound") — considered unstable (or temporary, transitional). The strictest definition of consonance may be only those sounds which are pleasant, while the most general definition includes any sounds which are used freely.

*33* **The chanter** is the melody pipe, played by one or two hands. A chanter can be bored internally so that the inside walls are parallel for its full length, or it can be bored in the shape of a cone.

*34* In music, a **Syncopation** is a shifting of the normal accent, usually by stressing the normally unaccented beats.

*35* The chanter is usually open-ended; thus, there is no easy way for the player to stop the pipe from sounding. This means that most bagpipes share a legato sound (that's why there was no abrupt silence when Albert was changing the theme) where there are no rests in the music. Primarily because of this inability to stop playing, grace notes (which vary between types of bagpipe) are used to break up notes and to create the illusion of articulation and accents. Because of their importance, these embellishments (or _ornaments_) are often highly technical systems specific to each bagpipe, and take much study to master.

©GosieKin 2010


	17. DRAGON

**Sorry for the long absence, guys… I was… Oh well, never mind, I'm sure most of you don't even bother with reading my intros and get straight to the point to impatiently read what's below…;PPP**

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: DRAGON**

"Madame Elroy is in the solarium, Sir." said the butler, helping him to take off his coat.

"Thank you, Madsen."

Albert headed towards the stairs. He looked like a man who had a huge weight on his shoulders. Indeed, he had a very solemn look on his face as he went up to the first floor. He had been meaning to have this chat with his Aunt for quite some time now, but because of certain circumstances, it was long overdue. Firstly, she had been busy attending the various functions that she had been invited to, and it had been like this since the New Year's Eve Party. The life that he was leading at the moment, he just wasn't able to catch up with her. And as regards to the last month, she was simply occupied in Boston, where she went to visit the Leegans and then, her distant cousins, the McIntyre's. It was a good thing that she came back when she did, he really didn't want to leave this particular, and somewhat serious, matter until the last minute. This wasn't the type of conversation that could be done over breakfast or a few minutes chat over the telephone. He respected his aunt enough to tell her about what he was about to tell her in a long, calm conversation face to face.

Without knocking, Albert opened the massive door leading into the solarium. The interior was flooded with the late afternoon sunshine. As he walked inside, he immediately spotted his aunt, sitting in one of the armchairs near the patio with the floor to ceiling glass windows. Madame Elroy was looking out through the huge open solarium doors which lead onto a terrace. The terrace wasn't big but it was big enough to contain a garden.

She was having her afternoon tea and cookies. Although 'having' wasn't exactly the right word. She was… celebrating. Afternoon tea was more like a ceremony for her, something she wouldn't skip under any circumstances, even if the house was ablaze.

His aunt must have heard the noise of the opening door because she turned towards him and seeing who had just entered, she gave him a welcoming smile. "William, my dear boy," she acknowledged him before he had a chance to greet her first. "I'm really glad to see you."

He didn't even feel at all weird with her calling him William. He had gotten used to it by now. She had always been so official, only using his first name and never yielding to his wish for her to call him Albert, as he had always thought of himself. He even understood why she was doing so; while William was a traditional Andrew's family name for males, his second name was chosen by his mother, a woman who was never accepted by Aunt Elroy into the Andrew clan. By only using the name William, it was her stubborn and never openly outspoken way of denying his inheritance from his mother's side, from the Candlans.

"Hello, auntie." he replied, walking towards her. "It's good to have you back."

He stopped beside her armchair, bent over and gently kissed her cheek. She was usually never open towards any physical contact but this time she let him, smiling even warmer.

"Would you care to join me?" she asked, pointing to the coffee table.

"Yes, thank you." he replied, nodding. He chose one of the other two armchairs, turned it slightly to face her and sat down onto its hard, velvet cushion. "How was your stay at McIntyre's?"

"It was very pleasant, thank you. We had wonderful weather for going out for walks; April this year was especially warm. It's good for Duncan, he is still recovering after that nasty flu he had caught in the winter. Charlotte has devoted herself completely to raising her grandchildren properly. Those kids seem to be really well educated I must say. Angus studies economy for three hours everyday and little Adele is making huge progress in piano and knitting. It was so nice to see them when…"

_Poor kids… _Albert thought. _One is twelve, the other, only eight and they are already being pressed into the tight and narrow molds of high expectations. Where was the time for childhood? _His aunt continued her monologue but he only partially concentrated on her voice. _Adele is still so small but they have already trained her to be a wax doll and Angus… he had always loved astronomy… last Christmas he had even confessed to me that he's been dreaming about studying it at the university one day… and they want to force him into the machine of business… Will this ever end?_

"…and a few days before we left, we went to the gallery. Charlotte's friend, Vanessa, had taken us there." his aunt was about to finish her story "They had a mobile exhibit of Van Gogh's art. Indeed, I must say he was a true master of light and color."

"I'm glad, my aunt that you had been entertained throughout your trip."

"And you, William?" she asked. "How have you been?"

"The usual." He replied. "Mostly busy with the business, a few meetings with the mayor regarding one of our projects, a new proposition from one of our partners in Canada… So far so good, I can't complain."

"I was asking about your social life, William." She got straight to the point, direct as always. "After you came back from the Congo you've always been busy, but since New Year's Eve, I barely even see you at home. You haven't replied to any of the invitations that we had received, I had to attend them all by myself. You missed the party at Dermott's, the Ramsays were also very disappointed. Especially their oldest daughter…" she added, looking at him meaningfully.

_Here we go again, _he thought, already foreseeing the headache about to unfold from listening to the one thing she would most certainly dwell on about for hours on end. Once Aunt Elroy entered this frame of mind, i. e. talking to him about the subject of marriage, there was absolutely no way of stopping her. She had convinced herself that it was her duty to marry him off to one of the girls that she found worthy, even if it was against his will. _It seems like the stubbornness runs in our entire family, either in this or in some other form… When is she going to understand that any power she had ever had over me ended about a decade ago?_

"I'm sorry, but I was really busy." he replied after a moment of silence, ignoring her allusion.

"You should exhibit yourself more in our circles." she persisted "And, for your information, I've had a nice conversation with Esther Ramsay and she whispered a few words about Gloria. She has had an eye on you since our last party and they wouldn't say no if you wanted to marry her. You should really think about it."

"Auntie…" he tried to interrupt her gently. But his hopes of stopping her this way before she goes any further, dissipated before it even had a chance. "Why do protest so much, whatever is the matter with you?" she asked with a perplexed look on her face. "She is a well educated and decent young lady of a good house. I think she might be a good party for you. I have even invited them over for dinner so you could…"

"Auntie!" he cut in again, this time, firmer. The conversation wasn't exactly heading in the direction where he wanted it to go. "Before you flounder too far in any matrimonial plans involving anybody, I would like to remind you that I am an adult and I won't let anybody be my matchmaker! And there is something…"

"Yes, you are an adult!" she interrupted him with an even firmer voice. Her initial smile faded and what he was now facing was just an old face with a pair of piercing eyes. "And still not married!"

"It will change soon." he stated simply.

It worked. Left with such news, she had lost some of her persistence in convincing him on the matter. "Oh, is that so? You changed you mind, have you?" she smiled again, visibly surprised "Why didn't you inform me earlier? These delicate matters need to be maintained officially! Alright, I understand it's not Gloria, but surely it must be one of the other girls from our circles… From DeWitt's maybe? Borough's? Jersey's? The Kenneth family perhaps?"

"None of them, my aunt."

"Well, I'm not good at random guesses. Do tell me, who is it?"

Albert looked seriously in the woman's eyes. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to deliver the news to her but right now he realized that it didn't matter how he told her. Whether he would tell her gently or not, the news itself will be shocking enough for her. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I want you to be the first person to be informed that I have asked Candy to marry me and she has agreed to be my wife." he said calmly.

And just like he had expected, he could see the blood draining from her face as it instantly grew pale, a few lighter shades of pale.

"W-what?" she uttered, disbelieving her own ears.

"She agreed to be my wife." he repeated.

Her body sunk lifelessly into the armchair and her head dropped back on the bolster. He was expecting this reaction; he produced his handkerchief, wet it with cold water from the jug and put over her forehead. He also poured some water into a glass and held it against her lips, wanting to give her something to invigorate her senses. But apparently she didn't need the water for that. Life suddenly sprang back into her; she furiously pushed his hand away and with it, the glass of water. The cup flew out of his hand and across the room in a perfect arc, so had the water that was contained within it, and landed with a loud shatter. The water, upon hitting the floor, began to spread outwards.

"Tell me I misheard, William, tell me that all this is just some ridiculous joke of yours and I will be willing to forgive you." she said with an icy cold voice.

"No," he shook his head, "it is not a joke."

To the contrary to what happened a few minutes ago, his Aunt's face now went beetroot red, a few darker shades of beetroot red.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" she yelled. "How can you even entertain this notion? With her? With this millstone around my neck?"

"Auntie…" he pleaded calmly. Right now he was afraid of the effect such a shock could have on her high pressure, her heart and the dozen or so other things Candy had warned him about. "Please calm down…"

"You want me to calm down?" Furious, she got up and started angrily pacing backwards and forwards around the room "You? You, after you so carelessly stated that you are going to destroy the rest of your reputation and waste your entire future? You are the head of the family, you have your duties!"

Duties, duties, always duties! His whole life was one long, big duty and he had been long done living _only_ for doing his duties. But there was no point releasing his anger now and yell. At least one person in this room should stay calm and collected.

"Forgive me, my aunt, but for my entire life I haven't been doing anything else but thinking of the duties to this household and responsibility that I have never asked for." he said calmly "I am the head of the family, but I don't think I have to sacrifice myself on the altar for that. I do what I have to, but I want to also be myself, living my own life and be happy. And I am happy – with her."

"Happy! Are you insane? What, for goodness sakes, possessed your mind? You, you had been so reasonable since you took over the family business! I believed you had left all that silliness of your youth behind! Happiness is something for children and teenagers to dream about and you are a man! A man with responsibilities!"

My God, what a horrible, twisted world she has been living in so far, it occurred to him briefly.

"I know my responsibilities." He stated firmly. "The only difference is that we have different priorities, auntie. For me family and the people I love come first. The family business is next. Not all of them, but most of these overdone soires you are talking about, are just a long outworn tradition good only for the bigheaded, cocky rich men buttering each other up. They are nothing short of a vanity fair and as such, I place them on the very far end in the scale of my interests."

"But there are meetings far more important to you, right?" Aunt Elroy attacked him without even mentioning a word on his last statement about the parties. She either deliberately ignored it or, what was more possible, she simply didn't notice it, perhaps too flustered at the moment to register properly all that he had said. "With her? Dear God, I understand now what kept you so busy, that you didn't have time for visits, why you are never at home! Why would you bother yourself being at home, if you could keep yourself busy with the arranged trysts at her apartment?"

"Cease these insinuations right now!" he cut in with a corybantic voice "Trysts? Who do you think I am, some Casanova? I would never allow myself to do any discreditable behavior towards her! It's anybody's business what we do when we meet but I swore to myself that she will enter our marriage untouched and she is still a vir..."

"Stop right there!" she raised her hand, "I don't even want to hear it! It makes me sick when I think of you meeting with her, all alone together, you with this little…" she stopped and swallowed the last word. She could see umbrage in Albert's eyes. She not only saw it, she felt it and she knew there were lines she couldn't afford to cross. "…with this... the bad spirit of this family!" she finished. "It's because of her we lost Anthony and Alistair…"

Albert stared at her, he couldn't believe his ears. "How can you even say that?" he asked, with his face twisted with anger and disbelief "It's getting old, don't you think? Stear had made the decision of joining the army on his own accord and as far as I remember she was the first one trying to convince him not to do it. And Anthony… My God, his death was a tragic accident."

"Yes, a tragic accident that _happened_ to occur during the fox hunt organized in her name!"

"The fox hunt wasn't _her_ idea." he didn't hesitate to remind her.

"Oh, so you are now blaming me because I organized it?"

"Of course I don't. But if you must look at this from the point of anybody's fault, blame me. At the end of the day, it was I who brought her into the family and this fox hunt was the outcome of my actions."

"That's it! You brought her into the family!" she pointed her finger at him, pleased as punch. The fact, never accepted for all those years, suddenly came into play. "You can't marry your… adoptive daughter!"

Albert shook his head and smiled under his nose. If his aunt believed that she had caught on to something she thought was his weak spot, well, she would be left disappointed. She probably thought that she was aiming her shot for the bull's eye, and the bull's eye it was indeed… once. But that was then, this is now. He wasn't so naïve as to leave such an issue unresolved. She couldn't have known it but when it came to _this _particularmatter, he was more than prepared to go on the defense. She didn't know but she was just about to find out.

"Here, in Chicago, Candy was always known more like my protégé, my god-daughter." He explained. "But in case someone really wanted to dig deeper, I can assure you that all the formalities have been taken care of too. There are no law ties binding us together now. A few weeks ago, we went to the solicitors to sign the papers annulling this adoption and now she is again only Candice White. She renounced the name Andrew… for the time being."

"How did you manage such a thing?" Aunt Elroy exclaimed, visibly surprised. "These are very complicated and time consuming procedures!"

"Indeed." he admitted, his smile was victorious and full of self-satisfaction now, "But they are not at all impossible. What definitely made it easier was that we were never blood related. Mentioning my relatively young age when I first signed the papers also helped a little. And whatever doubts the civil servants might have had, whatever obstacles they insisted to create… Oh, well," he shrugged, "wasn't it you who had always been repeating that money can 'fix' all things?" he said in a matter-of-fact voice, lifting his eyebrow. He deliberately hung his voice, letting the meaningful pause speak for itself.

She definitely didn't see that coming. "Clever boy, I see you have thought of everything, William." she retorted with sarcasm, once she regained her voice again. He could clearly see the shock of her seeing him, being so unexpectedly calculative, written all over her face. He wasn't surprised by it; she would have never expected to discover such a side to his usually kind and outwardly soft character. "You have already organized everything behind my back, haven't you? How long has this masquerade been going on? Since she moved in here? My God, all this time, under the same roof…"

"No." Albert protested firmly. His aunt might have hoped that she can catch him offguard by a sudden change in the subject but he was determined to keep up with her pace. "We have always been only friends and it goes all the way back to the times when she was living with the Leegans in Lakewood. We were also only friends when she was taking care of me when I had amnesia. I owe her my life." he didn't hesitate to remind her of his obligation. All weapons mattered now. "It took us a long time to find our path, for our feelings to grow into more serious ones."

"You grew to have more serious feelings? You and your caprices! And you are naïve enough as to expect me to accept this charade?"

Oh no, no matter how lenient he could be, he wasn't going to let _anyone _treat his relationship with Candy in such a way! "I didn't come here to ask for your _permission_." he said in a dispassionately slow voice, narrowing his eyes on her. Again, she was surprised by the coldness of his voice. He wasn't any less than she was. "I came here because of the respect I have for you. I came here to _inform_ you about my decision." He accentuated.

His aunt's face came out in a hot fluster but she managed to swallow her pride. "William…" she tried to persuade him again "your duty is to take care of this family and marry properly. She isn't even of proper birth!"

"I am taking care of the interests and the future of this family but I will never marry because of duty!" he retorted firmly. _My God, how things change… _He thought unexpectedly. It was only a year ago, in the Congo, when he was a hundred percent certain that he would either remain a bachelor or marry because of duty! Now, however, in his new life, it was different. No duty in the world would make him give up what he shared with Candy now. "Social status isn't everything, Auntie." he added in a quieter voice. He had decided earlier that he wasn't going to bring personal details about Candy into the conversation but right now, he had changed his mind. If she could try to catch him off guard by changing the subject, so could he! "You are the only person in the family whose opinion really matters to me and I came here in the hopes that you can understand me… This is not just a reckless decision caused by some random fascination as you wish to believe. It comes from a mutual and mature feeling. I am happy with her, really! I realize that you don't like her and I even know why. Please, listen to me for once and forget all the malice about her the Leegans had fed you with throughout all these years. For once try to see her as she really is, as I see her! See her devotion, her real care for everything and everyone! See her smile when everyone is expecting her tears. See her honesty where everyone else has duplicity for you! See her beautiful soul, her great heart… She has been like this since she was a child. Candy carries a light with her. She is my light. She is capable of bringing out all that is best in me. She makes my heart sing like no other." he finished passionately.

"She put a spell on you! On everybody!"

"A spell?" he smiled warmly. "Well, you can put it this way if you want. I just simply love her. And I'm happy because she loves me too."

"And did you stop and think for a moment about the scandal this could cause? What are the people going to say?"

People, people, always people and their opinions! He has had enough of living his life in accordance to everyone else's opinion!

"I have only one life to live and I'm not going to subordinate it to what people might _say_." he said quietly but with a clear and unwavering voice. "I don't give a damn about their talk anyway! What else can they do to me? Execute me? No. Abandon me, the ungrateful son, for marrying a woman of lower social status and never invite me to the party again, perhaps? Like I ever needed them in a first place! All they can do, my dear aunt, is gossip. One day they will get bored and find another subject to talk about."

"It's not only about where she comes from! I was talking about the scandal, if it was ever let out that you married your former adoptive daughter!"

"And I have already told you that these papers were carefully sorted out before being deeply buried." He replied firmly. "Without proof, such talk is harmless. I doubt if anybody will try to dig it up and use it to destroy one of _The _Andrews but if anyone did… Well, good luck to anybody who would try open war with me! My position is powerful enough and even if I'd hate to use it this way, I won't hesitate in case somebody forced me to! Auntie…" he added quieter, changing the subject again "Please, think about what I've told you about her, about me... I will marry her anyway, but I'd have felt much happier if I had your blessing. Candy too. Her pride will never let her admit it but she had always felt secretly hurt that you have never accepted her. For her, a girl raised without knowing her roots, a family is something she values the most. I perfectly understand that, I was orphaned in some way too, but at least I had Pauna and you. She didn't have anybody and I wanted to give her a substitute family. That was the reason behind my crazy idea of adopting her. But back then it didn't even occur to me that one day she might become the most important woman in my life…"

"Oh, would you stop it!" she snorted again, but this time, her anger wasn't as furious as it was at the beginning. He sensed that.

"My aunt, show her a little of your heart, I know you are capable…" he looked in her eyes intensively "You don't have to like her, just accept her. She was the one who forced a promise onto me that I will talk to you before the official announcement. She was worried about your health and thought that surprising you with such news in a front of others would be too stressful for you and also unfair."

The old woman could only clench her teeth tighter.

"Her birthday is in May. It will be just a little party, just a dinner for family and the closest of our friends. At that time we will inform everybody about our engagement. We want to get married in the beginning of the summer."

"In the summer? This year?" she yelled suddenly as she realized what he had just said. "On a top of everything, you want to get married in such a short time from the announcement? William, that's absolutely improper!"

Albert burst out with laughter. "My dear aunt, that sounded like you've already agreed!"

Madame Elroy, once again, went red from anger. "You! You and your usual bag of word tricks! You are trying to stroke me down like an angry cat! What sins could I possibly have done to deserve all this from you? You are a pain in the neck! I'm leaving! And don't you even dare come within my sight! I'm perhaps old but I am still capable of dressing you down!"

He watched, surprised, as the old lady ran with an almost youthful verve out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Surprise turned into amusement when he realized that her anger was only a desperate attempt to hide her embarrassment. She didn't want to admit that she let him corner her. Cold Aunt Elroy would never admit she had a weakspot: him.

O O O

Madame Elroy furiously paced from one side of her room to the another. Her maid had stood patiently in the corner and timidly went over and asked if there was anything that she needed but she was dismissed with a wave of a hand, a gesture of irritation. She didn't want to see anybody and she didn't want anybody to see her. Her mind was now in a state of a raging cacophony of galloping thoughts.

How could he! So much hope, so many great expectations towards his young absorbing mind when he was still just a boy! So much joy when he grew to be such an attractive, handsome young man! So much faith put in his predispositions, in all that he required to become responsible for the family and interests, a generally respected member of their society! So many plans and efforts taken in searching for a candidate worthy to be married to him! She loved him… Oh, she loved him as if he was her own son! And what had he been doing so far? After many years of wandering around the world, he had taken care of the business and he had been doing this very well indeed but he was also avoiding their social circles, changed the mansion into a hermitage and let the name of the Andrews lose all its shine and glamour.

And, on the top of that, he wasn't getting married. He, the only one who could carry the name and bloodline!

How could he! His real position within the family had been kept secret from the world but not from him. He had known very well about the family tradition and about the importance of being a sole male Andrew. She was sure of it because it was her who had been lecturing him about it since when he was aged of five, or maybe six. It was her who had carefully taught him all the names in the family tree… From her stories he had found out why he was graced with the position of the head of the family…

This had been running for many, many decades that there was never more than one male heir of the Andrew family born into each generation and never as the first one. As a result, each generation had a multitude of girls before the boy was finally born. Her own generation wasn't any different but luckily for her mother, the boy was born as the third child. And also, as the last. There were only three of them; herself, her younger sister Janet and their brother, William. Janet's daughter, Janis, had two sons, which was a true sensation in the family on its own but being a woman, she couldn't pass the Andrew name on to the boys. Alistair and Archibald carried the blood line but they had the name of their father, Cornwell.

She herself didn't pass on even the Andrew blood. She had been married once, to a widower and the only remaining child from this marriage was her husband's daughter whom he had with his first wife. The girl later had a daughter, Sarah, and from her came Eliza and Neil, but this branch, even though considered as a part of the Andrew family, was never truly related; neither by blood, nor even by name.

And her brother, William C. Andrew, the sole male in their generation and being the only one who carried both blood and the name, had Pauna and some years later, William Albert. Pauna had a son, Anthony, but just like in Janis's case, she couldn't pass the family name onto him; the boy's surname was Brown.

No more kids were born from her brother and now only William Albert was the direct male descendant of the Andrews… He knew about this all and now she just couldn't understand why he failed to take pride in being who he was!

Madame Elroy felt like she needed something to distract herself, even if only for a few seconds. Briskly, she walked to the bedside table, where her room maid had earlier on, left the usual jug of water. With her hands still shaking from the conversation that she had not too long ago, the old woman managed to pour some water into a crystal glass and drank it down quickly. The cold liquid seem to cool down her insides but to her disappointment it failed to calm the wild current of her thoughts. Feeling that she still needed to get rid off at least some of the bad energy that had built up by the anger, she continued her nervous march around the room, this time even faster than before.

_How unbelievably stubborn William is! _She thought, unaware that she was cursing under her breath. He had stuffed his head with this idée fixe and had gotten the entire family around just for this one little girl. A girl without proper birth, without a proper upbringing, a girl with a wild temper which notoriously caused them no end of troubles. It was because of her, the three of them, Anthony, Alistair and Archibald, so obedient before, started rebelling… Then, there was Anthony's death, their departure to England, her ingratitude when she had ran off from this prestigious school in London… and this idea of hers, playing a nurse! A job for commoners! And that's the woman he wants to marry no matter what! So much shame for our family!

'_She had taken care of William after his accident, she had indeed saved his life... _a voice deep inside herwhispered unexpectedly_ 'She didn't have to, she didn't know who he was for her, and yet…' _

"No!" Madame Elroy tried to push the uncomfortable doubts away "Without caring for her reputation she lived under one roof with him… With a young man…"

'_He was her patient…' _her conscience whispered again._ 'There was nothing between them back then and you knew it. You had heard more than once the stories from Eliza about Candice's involvement with this young noble, what was his name… Terrence? William was only like a brother to her back then…_

"Why couldn't it stay that way then?" she shouted, without sparing a thought about what the view looked like of her talking to herself. So angry was she, she couldn't have cared less if somebody walked in right this instant and saw or heard her. "Why didn't they just remain friends? Why did she have to cross William's path in a first place, this horrible, horrible girl!"

_Is she really as horrible as you want to believe? _Her newly awoken conscience continued mercilessly. _What if William was right and you were more under the Leegans's influence than you thought? _

"No!" protested her conservative 'self' again. "How can he even accuse Neil and Eliza of lies or manipulations? They are good kids, always so caring, so amiable… Neil's character is perhaps a little off and undecided, but he will grow up in time, and Eliza is a smart, beautiful woman. She always knows how to behave… Maybe she spends little bit too much on clothes, but she has such good taste, and anyway, it is not a problem if a girl her age likes to attire herself…"

The woman stopped abruptly in the middle of her thought. Just as her thoughts stopped in their tracks, her feet also stopped carrying her endlessly around the room. As if following the need for some fresh air, she went to the window to open it, only to stop by the wall separating the window and the door leading to the balcony. Her gaze rested on the drawing that hung on the wall. _"This garden looks so alive but is somehow covered with some sort of fairy tale mist..." _Who said that? Oh, yes, that unbearable girl, back then, on New Year's Eve, when she convinced herself that her help was necessary... Necessary, of course...

"_Aunt Elroy, you have so many beautiful things around..." _another girlish voice resounded in her head. It wasEliza's voice from the time when they were living here after coming back from London_. "I have always been admiring your good taste! Your bedroom is so elegant and luxurious… But I just don't understand how you can keep this black and white painting here. It seems so out of place..."_

"_My sister is right." _Neil's impertinent voice joined this weird echo from the past. _"Compared to all these other expensive and colorful paintings you have here, this one gives a pretty gloomy impression! Why don't you tell the maid to take it away and put it in the attic?"_

Madame Elroy lifted her hand and touched black and silver frame. Her precisely guarded secret… And again, the echo of a tiresome voice came to her. _"I'm sure whoever drew this must have had had a beautiful soul..."_

"A beautiful soul… who would have thought…" she murmured quietly "And who said that? A former stable girl! A kleptomaniac!"

Madame Elroy looked through the window at the beautifully maintained garden but she didn't really see it. In her mind, once again she stood in the Leegans' stables in Lakewood, looking into the pair of emerald eyes. A desperate voice from ten years ago resounded in her ears: _"I didn't steal any of these items! I have no idea how they got in here! I swear!" _Once again the little girl was standing in front of her and staring at her with recusancy as to the blame and to avoid punishment, she had always taken that as proof of the girl's guilt. But now it suddenly occurred to her that such recusancy could be also born from the innocence and the certainty that one is being inequitable accused of…

"No! No, I can't let those innocent looks deceive me!" Madame Elroy shook her head stubbornly "I can't believe that this wild girl from the orphanage, without proper background and upbringing…"

"_Her pride will never let her admit it but she was always secretly hurt that you never accepted her. For her, a girl raised without knowing her roots, a family is something she values the most.' _she remembered how her nephew's words from an hour before. She could still remember his radiant face when he was talking… she has never seen him so happy, with such a flame in his eyes, speaking with so much passion… She has never seen him so certain of his decision and so determined to gain what he desired, so powerful, so…

And again, out of the blue, Neil's voice resounded in her mind, _"My dear aunt, thank you so much for the birthday present you gave me! My own car! The latest Ford model T! I will be the envy of all my friends…" _

"_I came because I'm worried about your health…_" Candy's voice stubbornly wormed into her head again _"The guests will manage perfectly even without me… I will be more helpful here…"_

And again William's voice: _"See her beautiful soul, her great heart… see her honesty where everyone else has duplicity" _

"Enough! Enough!" the woman gasped. _See her honesty… see her honesty… SEE HER HONESTY… _theviolent rumbling in her ears was becoming unbearable "That's enough!"

Although short, the rampageous struggle with her own conscience had exhausted her and as she weakly collapsed into her armchair, a painful sob without tears tore at her chest.

But there was no one around to see her crying.

©GosieKin 2010


	18. SURPRISES part 1

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: SURPRISES (part 1)**

**7th May, 1923, Chicago  
**

"One thing I can tell you for sure, sweetheart: I didn't invite the entire city!" Albert laughed and threw another stone in the lake. The smooth dark disc shaped stone skipped the surface of the water a few times and sank with a plop, leaving three rings in its wake. He then bent over and picked up a few more stones that protruded from the dry, warm sand.

Candy got up from the bench where she had been sitting so far and walked towards the end of the lawn, where the gravel path also ended. She stepped on the wooden beach platform rising barely two feet above the water's surface and there, she stopped.

She arrived only minutes ago and Albert had decided that that was the perfect time to take her for a walk and to allow them to talk freely before the guests started arriving. The dinner was supposed to start in six hours time and she wanted to know the full list of the guests that would be arriving. As her birthday dinner was also going to be a surprise engagement party, Albert had also invited some of his friends and relatives. She knew about the entire Weston family but now he mentioned that there will be some other guests he had invited at the last minute. And, like always, he had to tease her about the actual numbers that were attending.

"Well, I know of Archie with Annie and her parents, Patty with her grandmother, Miss Pony and Sister Maria, George, of course and Monty with his family." she counted out, taking the challenge. "That gives seventeen and I'm sure I've seen more than twenty sets on the table."

"You sneaky little spy! When did you manage to have a peak in the dining room?" he berated her playfully. Candy rolled her eyes up and made an innocent face, so innocent in fact, that Albert thought that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "Alright, I will tell you…" he sighed and his tone of voice sounded as if he was giving out very top secret information. "I invited my cousin Malcolm Reynolds and his wife Deidre… You met them once, on that Thanksgiving right after the war, do you remember?"

Candy cogitated for a second. It was so easy to focus only on the Andrew's line, when it came to thinking about his immediate family! It was almost too easy to forget that he also had relatives from his mother's side, from the Candlans, who now lived in Milwakee. Maybe it was because they weren't many, for his mother had only one sister, maybe because of the little contact they had maintained over the last few years. But now, when mentioned the name, a half forgotten image of a young and very skinny man materialized in her mind. She remembered him mostly because of his hair color. Whilst there was no physical or facial resemblance between him and Albert, their hair however, was virtually identical, hence indicating that they were somehow related. From this fact alone, everyone knew that Albert inherited his white-blond shade from his mother's side rather than from the Andrews.

"Yes, I do," she confirmed with a smile as she thought back, "although, I remember his wife better. She was such a shy girl, asking for everything through Malcolm. It was so funny to hear my name all the time: _'Can Dee do that, Candy?' 'Dee, would you like some candy?'_ And when she had learnt that I worked in the hospital, she nearly fainted. It wasn't only until some time later that she took me to one side and told me that she couldn't stand even the thought of seeing spilt blood, but she secretly admires Florence Nightingale... Funny girl. Who else is coming?"

"I've also invited Connor, my old friend from the university. You don't know him. We only got back in contact recently, after he had read my articles in the 'Chicago Daily'." Albert explained as he threw another stone into the lake. "He is the only one who knows the real reason behind today's party; I had to tell him because it seemed weird to him that he was being invited to a birthday of a girl he had never even met before. He promised not to say a word though." he assured her "Everybody else thinks that they are all here to help celebrate your birthday."

"You know that I didn't even tell Annie… and Patty doesn't even know that we are together. She will be really surprised." Candy shrugged, smiling. Then her face became more serious and she added, this time with a hint of apprehensiveness, "Anyone else?"

"No, that is all. There will be only the closest of the people we know." replied a reassuring Albert. "I promised you no big fanfare, didn't I?"

No, she didn't want a fanfare or a big do. She once had to endure the big announcement of her forced engagement with Neil and that was enough already, even if it seemed a lifetime ago. No, today, she just wanted to enjoy this private moment with only those who mattered to them the most.

But Albert didn't quite actually finish his guest list; there was one important person he didn't mention...

"What about aunt Elroy?" she asked quietly. "Will she join us?"

"I don't know, sweetheart." Albert looked at her and she could see that he was also more serious now. "Since we had that conversation last month, she's locked herself in her bedroom and refuses to come out or go anywhere, she even eats in there. She gave specific instructions to her room maid not to let anybody in there, including me."

"For me it's obvious, Albert." Candy said and any previous smile disappeared from her face completely. "She can't stop you but she will never accept what you are about to do."

"You know that doesn't change the way I feel about us."

"I know…" she replied. "It's just I wanted so much to…"

As her voice trailed off, Albert sighed quietly. He tossed the rest of the stones he was holding in his left palm into the lake and with a few steady steps, he reached the wooden beach platform. He jumped up over the edge and walked towards Candy. She stood facing away from him, her gaze lost on the opposite side of the lake. His hands just moved on their own accord, circling around her arms and pulling her closer. She turned towards him and slipped softly into his embrace but without the usual enthusiasm. The way she curled up against his chest told him everything he needed to know. Usually she would snuggle in this way when she was feeling down, instinctively searching for his consolation. And indeed, when he cupped her face and lifted it slightly higher, he saw the sadness in her eyes and her lips, now curved downwards very much like a child about to cry. He sighed inaudibly again. There weren't that many issues that could make Candy feel so sad but the problems with Aunt Elroy were definitely one of them. It was actually the only thing upsetting enough to make her feel miserable and if he didn't do anything, she would soon immerse herself completely into a gray melancholy. He couldn't let that happen. Not on a day like this, especially today.

"Come on, baby, don't cry on me now…" he said and gently kissed her forehead. "Today is a day for joy, isn't it?"

"Of course it is." Candy murmured against his chest. "But she is an important part of this family and I just…"

"I know how much you are counting on it but I believe she will appreciate it one day." he cut her off before she could finish her sentence. He needed to change her mood, quickly. And he knew just what to do. "Come one, sweetie, cheer up…" he lifted her chin slightly, at the same time sweeping down to her eye level, "...unless you want me to use Albert's super stimulant therapy... It will no doubt make your eyes shine again, then, they will go all hazy, your head will spin and you will blush ever so charmingly…" he provoked her mockingly, trying to get a reaction. He wanted to divert her attention from the upsetting subject and apparently, it worked. Candy gave into his never ending foolish antics.

"You are so awfully confident, aren't you?" she exclaimed. "What if it doesn't work one day?"

"What do you mean? How dare you!" he joked. "My kisses always work and they always will!" And with that, Albert pulled an egotistical face.

"Bighead!" Candy said as she lowered her eyes, feeling the treacherous heat already flooding her face.

"See, I told you it would work…" still holding on to her chin, Albert straightened his index finger and stroked her burning cheek "You are blushing like a schoolgirl. I love it. You have a thousand charming freckles on your nose... I bet your patients also love you for these freckles..."

"Albert!" she nudged him.

"What's the matter? It's very rare to meet such a wild thing disguised as a blond, freckled nurse..."

"Now I hate you! I will make you pay for that 'wild thing' comment!" the nudge was stronger but she was smiling widely.

Albert made a sad face and shook his head in feigned worry. "Poor me," he sighed exaggeratedly, "what do I do now? I fell from her grace…"

Candy still couldn't help but smile. What was that about him that always made her smile, no matter how much he mocked her? She still hasn't figured that out and as far as she was concerned, her entire life wouldn't be enough to analyze it properly. "I will just have to think up some sort of a very painful punishment befitting for you…" she pointed her index finger at him.

"But you will forgive me at the end of June, won't you? Because in July, you know, I would finally be able to…" he glanced meaningfully up and down her body with a hot and heated hungry gaze, "I wouldn't like to miss that. You will have to forgive me for your own sake anyway because even your silly tantrums wouldn't even be considered an obstacle…" he paused for a moment, looked her up and down once more and then added an extra "Grrrr" at the end for effect.

"Albert!" she exclaimed, blushing even more. "Behave!"

Albert didn't reply straight away. For a long moment he just kept looking at her, smiling with his typical, mocking half smile of his. With just this smile alone, he was still capable of waking up the passion within her. It was just that sometimes, she just didn't know what she wanted to do more; whether to simply strangle him for this ridiculing smile or, rather more often than not, kiss him into oblivion.

"Let's head back then..." he said finally, releasing her waist. He clasped her hand and with one smooth movement, tucked it under his arm "...before I misbehave any further."

They left the beach and walked along the path that connected the lake to the house.

"You do realize that from today onwards, we will be seeing each other less and mostly in the company others, don't you? And definitely not in your apartment?" he asked, more serious than before.

"Yes, I do." Candy nodded, "I know all too well how sharp people's tongues can be. Once this news spreads, I would feel like all the eyes around me would be spying on us…Goodbye to my freedom!"

"It will only be for two months, don't worry. After that, it won't matter anymore, you will move back in here as my wife and…"

_I really will be his wife... _she thought with a weird mixture of both disbelief and awe. They have been together for more than nine months now and engaged for nearly three but it was still hard for her to fully grasp how unbelievably happy she was with him! People can't possibly be _this_ happy, she had thought time and time again. But they were. Thinking back, nothing would be as easy between them as it was now. It was never love at first sight. It was never love to begin with! Anybody who had known them as friends for all these years and in the past, nobody would ever have said that they would end up together one day! She had thought she was meant to be with another man, that's what she had believed in once and that other man had been the one she had dreamt about sharing her life with… Her fate it seems didn't let her, perhaps it was supposed to be this way, she had pondered that once before. And the more she thought about it, the more certain she was that she had been right. Everything in life has its time and purpose, all the paths lead towards one another – and she now deeply believed that everything that has ever happened in her life led her to this moment, to him, to this wonderful man whom she was now alongside, walking arm in arm… He had always been her rock, her refuge, best friend and it was thanks to him that she could survive the worst of times without becoming embittered… It was thanks to him, always waiting patiently by her side until all her wounds were finally healed. In a world of her own stupidity, she had to lose him to realize he could mean so much more to her. She had to face her pain alone to finally stand on her own two feet and grow up. But now, she knew the price she had paid was worth the reward. Once given the chance, Albert sneaked himself into her heart; bit by bit, slowly but irreversibly. And it wasn't like he replaced Terry; no, he didn't even try to do that. He had his own place in her life. He had sort of given her a new life. He _was _her life. He was her everything. He was making her happier than she ever thought was possible… Nothing should be easy between them but it simply was.

And it had been a long time ago since she realized that she couldn't wait to become his wife… The anticipation of it made her blush every time she had thought of this oncoming day. Or, more like, what was going to follow at the end of that day…

"…and then, I am going to buy Big Ben in London and turn it into a cafeteria." The impatient male voice tore her from her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm sure you will succeed…" she replied automatically. "I mean…" she paused, as the ridiculousness of his last statement and her reply finally registered in her mind. She looked around and was surprised to see that they were already in the garden, near the back of the labyrinth. How did they get here so fast? How did they pass the coppice without her noticing it? There was only one word that could possibly express the chaos of her thoughts. "Huh?"

Albert rolled his eyes "Candy, have you even been listening to a word that I have just said?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly, curling like a scolded kitten." I got lost in thought."

"Ha! What's new? Repeat after me: Albert, I'm sorry I didn't listen…" he declaimed and on hearing his grouchy voice, Candy couldn't help her lips widening in a grin again.

"Albert, I'm sorry I didn't li…"

"Forgiven." he cut in quickly, before she could finished her sentence. "What were you thinking about? You seemed to be miles away."

"It's nothing… I was just wondering how lucky I am."

"Lucky? Why is that?"

"Because I have you, baby." she held his arm closer to her and smiled coquettishly. "I was wondering how wonderful it was to be your fiancée and how much more wonderful it will be to be your wife…"

She only managed to finish the last word before Albert suddenly turned from the path and pulled her, completely stunned, inside the labyrinth. "Do you know what, I've changed my mind. I'm going to misbehave after all." he said, stopping abruptly merely a few feet away from the entrance and turned towards her. Caught by surprise, she stumbled and fell right into his arms. His victorious smile told her that this was exactly what he had predicted. In a flash, his hands snaked around her waist and brought her higher up, for a moment, literally swiping her off her feet. "Do you remember?" he whispered with his lips tentatively hovering above hers. "In the winter…?"

How could she _not _remember?

Candy didn't reply, she only nodded as her heart pounded away quickly and more than willingly, she let him kiss her. Not that he waited for her permission of course. Just like usual, he claimed her lips as his own, taking them into his sweet possession. And, just like usual, when he was kissing her, nothing around her existed but the two of them. And just like always in his arms, she felt a wave of heat flooding her entire body. What she was experiencing now was exactly what he had promised her a few minutes earlier at the lake; her head was spinning and she had to hold on tightly to his shirt to keep herself steady. Damn him for being so foreseeing, so confident, so sure of his power above her! Although, when it came to _this _power, she was in no way any where near the thought of rejecting it… If his arms were a prison, she thought briefly, it had to be the sweetest prison on Earth and she would have to have been stupid if she tried to escape from it…

And it wasn't as if she was utterly powerless anyway… She really, _really_ wasn't upset with the knowledge that he held her with one hand and the other was tightly grasped onto a branch that was behind her back, as if he needed it badly to support himself too... She could do with such a knowledge just fine…

It could have been, of course, only a few seconds but it might have as well have been a millennia when their lips finally separated. And like usual, she just couldn't say for sure.

"...back then, on New Year's Eve…" Albert tried to talk with a hoarse voice. He stopped and cleared his voice with a loud 'ahem', then in his normal voice, he continued his line of inquiry, "…I thought that you said you love me because you had had too much champagne, and you would change your mind later."

"Is that how unsure you were?" she asked, trying to regain a normal breathing rhythm of sorts.

"I was too afraid to believe in it."

"You are a silly bean." Candy shook her head, "I would have never said anything that I didn't believe in with all my heart."

"Alright..." Albert nodded and inhaled deeply as if he was making important decision. "Let's make a compensating deal then: you will have to do it daily, at least three times _a day_: before breakfast, before lunch, before dinner and before late supper… That would be the first of the conditions of being my wife."

"Clown." she playfully tapped his ribs. "And that counts _four, _by the way."

She turned around to run out of the labyrinth but all she managed was one step. Albert caught up with her in a flash.

"Who are you calling a 'clown'?" he riposted, pretending to be enraged. "I was deadly serious. Business is business, dear. Firstly, I said: _at least_ three times. Secondly, in case you didn't hear it properly, I pointed out '_a day' _as well! To my great disappointment, you seem to not be as sensitive to the nuances of language as I believed you were. Shame on you! That leaves me with the necessity of saying it clearly and directly: I haven't…counted…the night…yet!" he punctuated. "Therefore, number _four _could be also considered as inaccuracy."

"Aha, all clear now!" Candy pouted her lips, trying not to laugh. "The seemingly innocent Sir Andrew of the Andrew Inc. is finally showing his true colors! Born to be an implacable businessman, now in the flesh; he gets straight down to business, with no hesitation or remorse! Even _four_ times isn't satisfying enough for you, you say?"

Albert's face remained deadly serious but the left corner of lips twitched suspiciously.

"Oh, go ahead then and tell me your conditions!" she encouraged, "What is the number that can satisfy you?"

"As I said, to compensate for all my horrendous fears and torments that my poor heart has had to endure, as well as to secure my unbelievably low self-esteem, I want you to repeat 'I love you' a minimum of three times a day." he repeated. "But, as I realize that I can't be too demanding, I will however, give you some space for negotiations. When it comes to late evening and night time, you will be free to choose the _form_ of how you will repay your debts. I can only suggest that it doesn't necessarily have to be in the verbal form…" he added, both his eyebrows danced up and down in unison.

"…and _I _can clearly see that you are much more interested in the 'non verbal' forms…" she finished bravely, blushing yet again. "Why do I have, pray tell, this weird feeling that your _suggestion_ was only another form of demand? And why do I have, pray tell, this even weirder feeling that the number _three_ mysteriously jumping up to _five_ is not in the least the end of the negotiation?" she asked with a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice. A second later, she frowned. "Hold on a moment…" she eyed him up and down suspiciously, "Do I have damaged hearing or did I just hear you say something about 'repaying debts'?

Albert let his head fall to the back and laughed out soundly. "Much quicker this time." he uttered. "Point for you."

"Oh no, no, no, mister! That was supposed to be a fair business deal!" she replied facetiously, wagging her finger. "Since when am I the only one assigned to make all the effort and you are the only one who will be receiving all the gratifications?"

"Since I'm simply that much better than you in bargaining and more conniving in negotiations?" he offered, still laughing.

"But that's not fair!" she exclaimed, trying to step back. "You are a cad as to take advantage of me!" she stated matter-of-factly.

"That I am." Albert agreed openly, holding on tighter and easily defeating her efforts of trying to free herself from his arms. "Yet, you still can't resist me."

"Not only are you are a cad, sir; you are a bigheaded cad!"

"It still doesn't change the fact that you can't resist me." he pointed out again, pulling her, now soft and more submissive, even closer to him. "Fine, let's make a fair deal then, shall we? You will pay your debts and I…" he paused, entwining his fingers in her hair, "I will be responding in kind. I also promise to be especially attentive…" he whispered and his lips tentatively licked and nibbled on her lower earlobe, "…to those 'non verbal' forms. How does that offer sound?"

"Acceptable." Candy replied with a slightly tremulous voice as shivers ran up and down her spine like an Olympic athlete. "You know how to bargain, Mr. Businessman, I'll give you that! And I hope you will… keep… your word… But now…" Feeling that just a few more seconds of receiving this wonderfully sinful attention that he was paying to her ear wouldn't go amiss, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment. And just as she thought she would become a puddle of melted wax at his feet if he carried on, she added in a weak voice, "…you better stop doing what you are doing unless you intend for me to faint."

Albert only chuckled softly. "I believe I would handle that just fine too…" he murmured and nibbled on her ear for the last time before letting go of it, "I would then have an excuse, as a real gentleman that I am, to carry you back inside and then, I don't know… somehow resuscitate you?"

"You are a helpless case!" Candy moaned. "And not very helpful at all!"

Another chuckle.

"I have no intentions on be helpful concerning this particular matter." he replied, leaning down unexpectedly and stealing a quick peck from her lips. "Quite the opposite as a matter of fact."

_And to think that I used to consider him as a very gentle yet nearly shy person in the past…_ Candy thought, smiling inwardly. _'Provocative' would never have been the word at all that I would have used to describe him! And look at him now…_

This once said shy person had a look on his face that was not in the least bit shy. A lazy smile graced his lips and the mischievous glimmer in his eyes was just impossible to miss.

"Okay, let's go through the list again." he said. "I misbehaved, made a good marriage deal and misbehaved again. Not bad for one day, isn't it? I think now that we're done here, we can go back home now to sign the contract between us. I want to have this deal written down…"

Candy growled at that. "You are really a cad, you know?" she exclaimed. "You can't do that! You can't just simply make me want…"

A sudden honking sound nearby cut her sentence short. They looked at each other, abruptly brought back to the now from their own little world.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

As if to reconfirm their approach, the honking repeated, this time closer, as if it was coming from the front of the mansion's gate. Albert smiled.

"I'm sure it's Rogers with our dear guests." he said, letting go of her. "Come, we have to greet them! The signing of the contract has to wait for some other time."

Shaking her head helplessly and smiling, she turned toward the house and as fast as her shoes would allow her to do so on the soft grass, she began walking as fast as she could. Seconds later, a strong masculine hand clasped hers firmly and the walking became much easier. And he didn't let go of her hand once they stepped back on the gravel path again. _This is how we should go through our life, _she thought, _always close, always supporting each other…_

They were near the end of the labyrinth when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small movement on one of the balconies up on the first floor. She looked up. The tall, unapproachable figure was unmistakable and so was the harsh look on Madame Elroy's face.

_She saw us! _It flashed through her mind._ The hedge is tall, but from the first floor, everything is as visible as on the open plains!_

The woman above their heads gave her one more glare and disappeared inside her room. Candy sighed. Right now she actually hoped that one of the chairs at the dinner party would remain empty…

As they both finally reached the concrete stairs, Albert quickly pulled her up and she followed. They almost ran all the way, through the empty parlor and down the hall hand in hand. It wasn't only until near the main door, they let go of each other's hands with a smiles all around. This was the surprise to be revealed only later on during the dinner.

Candy, in her eagerness to meet their guests, rushed out first through the main door.

Just a mere moments and any thoughts of Aunt Elroy had already evaporated. Compared to the joy of hugging her precious guests, she simply paled in comparison. "Miss Pony! Sis Maria!" she greeted, on the very edges of shedding tears of joy. "Oh, I'm so, so glad that you've both managed to make it!"

"Candy, my little girl!" Miss Pony was also moved. "We are happy to see you too!"

"Did you have a good journey?" Albert said as he joined them seconds later and both women turned to greet him too.

"Oh yes, thank you, Albert!" Sister Maria replied, smiling brightly. "The train journey was much more comfortable than I thought and as soon as we had arrived in Chicago, we were greeted by Mr. Rogers. He brought us here in no time!"

"Come on, come inside." Candy took them both by the arms and started to walk towards the door. "I will take you to your rooms. It was a long journey after all."

"Ahem! Seems like you are forgetting someone." A male voice came from behind her and stopped her in her tracks.

_That voice? I know that voice! No, it can't be! _

Candy turned and saw no one. Then she looked at the car and with disbelieving eyes, looked at the person was now stepping out of it. First, she saw the top of a black hat and a pair of massive shoulders, covered in a brown, leather jacket. Then, the man stood up, revealing his full height. From under the edge of the black hat, a huge, tomboyish smile appeared and as the man lifted his head higher up, she saw the rest of the well known face, confirming what her ears had already told her. And that was enough to forget about any formalities and joyfully fly into her friend's arms.

"Tom!" she shouted as he spun her easily around in the air, "My big brother!"

"Candy, you look as charming as ever." he laughed as he put her back down on terra firma "When was the last time I saw you, I think it was on Christmas Day two years ago?"

"Oh Tom, what a surprise!" she still couldn't believe it. "I knew about Miss Pony and Sister Maria of course but you…? How…?" she inquired.

"Well, you gotta thank this big, blue eyed, laughing fella behind you." Tom replied, nodding towards Albert. "He invited all of us, it's just I simply didn't know if I would be able to come until the last minute. But father told me that our ranch will survive a few days without me so here I am. He sends his love, and so do Mr. Cartwright and Jimmy."

"Oh, you guys are amazing!" she squeaked. "Albert!" she accused facetiously, "how could you? You didn't even mention a word!"

Albert only grinned wider. "I am very good at keeping some things top secret, thank you. My ladies," he turned to Miss Pony and Sister Maria and bowed with chivalrous gallantry, "would you allow me this honor of taking you inside?" he offered both women his outstretched arms.

"Candy, with you being the ever incorrigible wild thing…" he added, glancing at her meaningfully, "I trust that you know how to behave like a civilized person once in a while?"

"Tom…" Candy chirped, "Here you have the finest example of a first class Vagabond who wants to be seen as an impeccable gentleman. Don't you think it would be nice to teach him a lesson and show him that his own manners still need bit of polishing?" she asked with a mischievous smile. When her friend blinked knowingly, she bowed her head gracefully and with a dignified gesture held on to his arm. "Allow me, my dear…" she added with her best refined voice. "It's an honor for me to greet you into the Andrew's Mansion. Welcome to our humble abode!"

O O O

Hours had passed and the main parlor on the ground floor was still echoing with cheerful voices. After the guests had gotten themselves refreshed and had a light lunch, they were all brought in here to spend some time with their hosts. There was no offishness with the company here, unlike other celebratory parties. With some people, months or even years could pass and the first meeting after such a long time of not seeing each other was still natural and sincere. That sort of people were here in the Andrew's Mansion right now, the hosts represented the same type and that's why everyone was sitting comfortably on the Victorian couch and armchairs, fully relaxed and openly eager to hear from each other, the latest news whatever it was, be it business or gossip. So immersed in their own little conversations, they barely noticed the presence of the maids scurrying around, regularly refilling the tea and coffee pots and the empty plates with more biscuits.

After so many months it seemed like there should be just too much to talk about all at once, but soon, it was clear to them that it was the news from Pony's Home that needed to be heard first. Everything that regarded the still ongoing repairs and new extension was eagerly awaited by Candy and Albert. They had both seen the building site in the summer and then, the nearly finished additional wing in November. Now, they wanted to know in great detail how the orphanage got through its first winter in its new form. They had been continuously updated about the progress in ongoing letters but it wasn't the same as being told the full story face to face. As Candy and Albert said at some point, the reports from the builders' supervisor would never compare to the stories told by the people for whom the building was meant to house. And it was true. The reports could perhaps describe in painstaking details the quality of the materials that were used for the main frame of the building, the final floor plan and what was used for the finishing touches. What it couldn't do was to express the children's' awe when they first saw the colorful walls and the new wooden furniture or the feeling that they got for the first few nights where everybody was getting used to their new cozy bedrooms. The reports could perhaps describe how quickly the main building was renovated, explain what the old rooms were converted into but it would never express the amusement of the first few weeks where almost everyone, still used to the old floor plan, mistook the new classroom for their former dinning room…

Just as was already expected, Miss Pony and Sister Maria weren't alone anymore. From the very beginning, since they had learnt about the plans, it was clear to the two of them that they would need more help. The new orphanage was intended for up to sixty kids of both gender and they both knew that they would need to have more people to help supervising the children. And now, after a long period of interviews, they carefully selected a few assistants. There were four women hired to help with the younger children, also they finally had a proper cook and two teachers. Both teachers were a married couple who couldn't have kids of their own; taking care of the orphans gave them a substitute family.

The orphanage's little clinic was still in its planning stages on paper but they already had a nurse who could properly look after anybody who fell ill. And if having more employees wasn't any surprise, the identity of this nurse was. This was the surprise Miss Pony and Sister Maria left for the end. The nurse, hired only three months ago, happened to be no one else but Prudence Wilkes, Candy's former colleague from St. Camille and they announced it to Candy with wide smiles on their faces.

And they weren't disappointed; Candy blinked in utter surprise when she learnt about the news. Fulfilling her old plan, she had told Prudy about the place she grew up and last year they both went to visit Pony's Home. And just like she had foreseen, Prudy had fallen in love with Lakewood and became fast friends with all the occupants of the house. But after they got back to Chicago and Prudy never mentioned another word about moving out the city, she had thought that her colleague treated the episode in Pony's Home only as a holiday. And it didn't even occur to her, as she was explaining, that Prudy might have left for Lakewood when she had resigned from her position at St. Camille's a few weeks ago. She had thought that her colleague simply found a better job in one of Chicago's many hospitals.

"I should have dug deeper." Candy said with a smile. "If she had indeed worked in another hospital, she would have at least mentioned its name. It seemed she simply disappeared from the face of the Earth!"

"She wanted to surprise you the next time you were going to visit Lakewood, you know?" Miss Pony replied. "We have been writing to each other since you introduced us to Prudy. She had had enough of the big city and although it took us quite a while to convince her, she finally decided to move out and start her life in a completely new environment."

"I know she will be happy there."

"She already is." Sister Maria assured her.

Tom was the next person that they spoke to. They asked him about his life and how everything was going. Tom replied that some things had changed, some not. The demand for beef was as high as always, giving them plenty of work to be done through the entire year, so that hadn't changed much. But other things had. New technical innovations slowly but irreversibly reached its way higher and higher north and the majority of the farms that he used to supply with the working horses thus far were now using more and more machines. His once quite big breeding stables had to be reduced but he doesn't worry about that much, he said, explaining that there are things in which even the most advanced machine won't ever be able to replace an ordinary, strong horse.

Some time later, the little door bell rang to announce the maid's arrival but she didn't come to refill their tea and coffee pots as they thought. It was Aunt Elroy's personal maid.

"Excuse me Sir," she said. "Madame Elroy wishes to speak with Miss Candy."

Within an instant Candy was brought back to the reality. The view of the unapproachable figure standing on the balcony flashed briefly in her mind and she had no doubts about what this conversation would be about. "Where is she expecting me?" she asked calmly.

"In her room, miss."

"Thank you, Lisa." Albert quickly took charge of the situation. "My dear friends, it's easy to lose track of time while talking to you, but duties call I'm afraid. The dinner will start at six, but please be downstairs a little earlier. I'm sure Annie and Patty would love to greet you the same official way as Candy did." he winked and everyone smiled. "Until then, get some rest if you wish and please make yourselves at home. Lisa, please take our guests to their rooms. Hannah will make sure that they have everything they need."

He let everybody go about their affairs and only when their voices had trailed off near the stairs leading onto the first floor, he turned to Candy. She stood near the door, serious, with her eyes closed. He walked to her and placed his palms on her shoulders.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" he asked. "You look nervous."

Candy looked up, meeting his deep blue, warm gaze. While the guests were still in the room she tried to look calm for she didn't want them to notice her fear and worry. But now she didn't have to pretend anything. He sensed her uneasiness, he always did. They were so in tune with each other that it was a wonder why they haven't started reading each other's thoughts yet…

"Because I am." she replied simply.

"You are afraid to talk to her?" he guessed.

"Yes, I am, because I think I know what I'm going to hear from her." she admitted. "Albert, I didn't tell you earlier, because we ran to greet them… She saw us when we were in the garden… you know, when you kissed me…"

"I see." he nodded slowly. "And you think she will scold you for that?"

"And you think she won't? What other reason would she call me for?" she asked.

He understood and embraced her gently. Candy had a good reason to be a little worried. His aunt didn't want to see anybody for weeks and now all of a sudden, she was summoning her to her room, right after she saw what they did in the garden… They weren't a pair of teenagers who had to hide from the adults or be ashamed of being close to each other but he knew well his aunt's strict taste when it came to what she called 'an appropriate behavior'. And knowing this, he began to worry a little himself. Not that this confrontation would change anything between them two. No, his only concern was that his aunt might say something that will upset Candy further. He didn't want this to happen, not on a day like this.

"Do you want me to go with you to the dragon's cave?" he offered facetiously, trying to lighten the mood a little.

And it was when Candy surprised him. She straightened up in his arms and shook her head. "No." she stated firmly. "I appreciate that you want to help," she added, lifting her hand and softly stroked his cheek, "but it wouldn't do any good. It would only prove in her eyes that I am still just a little girl who has to hide behind your back. I have to go there alone, just like she is expecting."

Surprised, Albert couldn't help but smile with pride. "That's my girl!" he said, ruffling her hair slightly.

"Not a girl." she denied again. "I am a woman and soon to be your wife and she had best accept that."

He didn't reply, only hugging her tenderly once again.

"Would you wait for me in the study?" she pleaded. "I might storm bravely into the dragon's cave but I don't mind having my Prince to console me afterwards…"

In her playful voice he heard the tone of seriousness and he understood that she was nervous after all. Wanting to lift her spirits, he smiled and replied in the same playful tone, "Of course I will. But knowing your fighting mood I wouldn't be surprised if it was the dragon that had to be tended to after, not you…"

Candy looked up at him and smiled back with gratefulness. Not saying any more, she squeezed his hand and quickly walked out of the parlor. A few seconds later, he heard the quiet sound of her steps on the stairs as she ascended.

Candy felt like she was walking up a flight of never ending stairs. Eventually, she was at the top. She looked down at the corridor and it stretched out before her, and into infinity. But she won't give up because she is a little scared…

_Albert, I will fight for us with all the strength that I have._ She thought. _I don't know how but I will prove I'm worthy of you..._

The door to Madame Elroy's chamber was open but she knocked anyway, out of politeness. "It's me, Candy." she announced her presence. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes." came the voice from within the room. "Close the door and come nearer. This won't take long."

Candy stepped in and closed the door behind her. Madame Elroy was sitting in her armchair, partially facing the wide opened door of her balcony. _It was the same one she stood on only a few hours ago and watched us in the garden, _she realized. _Is this meant to be a clue?_

"I called you because I wanted to avoid any turmoil with the guests downstairs." Madame Elroy said dryly. "I wanted to speak with you, alone and in private. What do you surmise this might be about?"

"Well... I guess this is because you saw me and Albert in the garden?" she replied bravely but calmly, promising herself not to get provoked. "I just wanted to explain that…"

"You are wrong." The cold voice interrupted her firmly. Madame Elroy turned her face slowly towards her and now she found herself looking directly at the old, wrinkled face. This pair of piercing blue eyes, so similar in shape to her nephew's eyes and yet, so different in expression, stared at her unrelentingly. "Indeed I saw you but your presence here has nothing to do with that at all." she added. "I called you here, because it's your birthday and I wanted to avoid the fuss with the all the well wishes while other people are around. It annoys me when people show their sentiments in public and that's the reason I wanted to do it here."

There must really be something wrong with her hearing, she could swear. That, or maybe there was something seriously wrong with her brain! _Maybe I should have myself checked? Good job I'm a nurse!_ she thought as she stood there unblinking, not knowing what to say. She had come here, all the while, mentally preparing herself to keep her teeth clenched and to silently endure the scolding for their flagrant display of 'indecent behavior' and yet she stands here now and hears something about being summoned because it had something to do with her birthday? Candy had been breathing deeply to remain calm and collected. She had a statement already prepared and was waiting patiently until the right moment to explain Aunt Elroy that 'their private moments were _their _private moments' and 'how so it will be for their entire future life together' and now she hears something about her _birthday wishes_ wanting to be said in private? Her 'speech' just went out the window.

Surprised and temporarily speechless, Candy watched as Aunt Elroy picked something up from behind the coffee table next to her.

"All the best and Happy Birthday, Candice." the voice sounded in her disbelieving ears and bounced it around for a while in her brain as an old hand stretched out towards her, handing her quite a large, rectangular object. "I'm not good with this sort of thing so let's just have it done. Here, this is my present to you."

_Present? _

"Pre… present?" Candy finally said after regain her gift of speech, only to stammer on the first word. She had prepared for and expected bitter words but getting a present? And who from? From the woman who had always skipped her whenever present were being handed out! "Really?" she uttered, still disbelieving her ears. "For me?"

A small nod was her only confirmation.

Slowly, she received the gift from Aunt Elroy's hand. It felt hard and edgy, wrapped up in a thin, blue tissue-paper. And immediately, her natural curiosity kicked in, "Can I…?" she asked hesitantly, "…open it now?"

"If you wish." said the woman emotionlessly.

Candy removed the outer ribbon and forcing her hands to be a little patient, she began unwrapping the tissue-paper. It had many layers but finally, she got to the last one. And what she saw underneath, literally took her breath away.

A black frame with silver edges…

Her gaze immediately searched along the room to make sure… And yes, the wall between the window and the balcony door was empty. She didn't notice it before, focused solely on the conversation. "The drawing?" she whispered, stunned. "_THIS_ drawing, this beautiful drawing? For me?"

"You seemed to like it. I want you to have it. Besides..." Madame Elroy shrugged her shoulders "...don't go thinking too much into it. It's nothing that valuable."

"Not every of value is about money!" she exclaimed honestly. "For me this is… it's priceless!"

She removed the tissue-paper completely and noticed that top part of the frame was gilded by another dark-blue ribbon with a stylish card dangling on its end. When she read the dedication her eyes opened even wider and she turned the frame to look for the answer. The underside was clean; she had ascertained that the date at the bottom righthand corner was the only inscription. She studied it very carefully. The last time she saw it, it was dark and the bottom edge of the frame must have covered some of the inscription on the drawing, because now, she also saw a few letters under the date. They were tiny and partially hidden under the frame and it took her a few seconds to decipher them. With her eyes wide open, she looked at the card and at the date again and then, suddenly, she understood. Back then, on New Year's Eve she saw this drawing for the first time in her life, but now she knew why the rush of amazement she had felt seemed so familiar.

"You said whoever drew it must have had a beautiful soul. Do you understand now why I fell contradicted?" the woman's voice confirmed her suspicions.

"I do _not_ agree." Candy objected with a surprisingly strong voice. "I hold up to what I said."

"I will never understand your silly stubbornness." Madame Elroy's nasally voice was as cold as usual.

"It's not stubbornness; it's a certainty." she said reinforcingly again, shaking her head. "I know the hand that had created this… Albert once carved something as a gift for me…" she confessed suddenly. "He _also_ has a beautiful soul and his little sculpture hasn't ceased to fascinate me. When I look at this drawing I feel the same…"

"Enough! I told you it won't take long and it is late already. You can't be late for you own party now, can you?" saying this, the old woman impatiently waved her hand and turned her head away, towards the window.

After a few more seconds of silence, Candy understood that Aunt Elroy really meant what she said. She quickly wrapped up the present again. There was nothing more to add. Except for one thing, the most important. "Thank you, Aunt Elroy." she said softly. "This drawing has already become one of my most precious treasures."

With the last words still on her lips, she walked to the chair, bent over and before the woman could realize what was happening, she quickly kissed her cheek.

"I said, enough of these vulgar sentiments!" Madame Elroy yelled.

"Yes, my Aunt."

Candy turned around, walked out and closed the door behind without looking back.

But if she did, she would have been surprised to see that Madame Elroy was pressing her palm against her cheek. And if she looked even closer, she could see that the old woman's eyes were sparkling with tears.

O O O

When the door to the study opened quietly and Candy walked in, Albert couldn't hide his surprise. He got up quickly from behind the desk and approached her, looking intensively at her face. She looked thoughtful.

"That didn't take as long as I thought it would." he said. "How was it? I hope she wasn't too rude to you?"

"No," she replied in a blank voice, devoid of emotion "she wasn't rude at all."

"She wasn't?" he asked, surprised. "Well, that's good… But… what did she call you for then?"

"To give me a birthday present."

"To do _what_?" he almost choked.

"To give me a birthday present." Candy repeated and smiled lightly because Albert was looking at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head. If she had a similar facial expression in Aunt Elroy's room to the one he was wearing now, she must have looked… well, pretty silly. "She gave me this." she added and holding the package by its corner, she lifted it higher up.

Disbelievingly, Albert too held the other edge, unfolded some of the scrunched up tissue-paper and, as he recognized the item inside, his eyes opened even wider. "This?" he uttered. "She gave you _this_? Her favorite artwork, the mystery no one could ever solve?"

Candy smiled again, this time knowingly. She herself had no more doubts whatsoever as to why this drawing was the favorite one, but Albert's comment suggested that there were missing parts to the story that she didn't know about and that it needed to be told. And she wasn't one to resist an interesting story. She would tell her part in a moment. "There is a mystery about this piece?" she asked encouragingly.

"When we asked her where she got this old drawing from, Aunt Elroy said she had found it in the attic in Lakewood a few years ago but no one could remember how it got there, nor when it was drawn or by whom." he explained. "We could only guess, not even George or the oldest of the servants could remember that. We all decided that it must have been drawn in the previous century by someone who was hired by my great grandfather."

"I will surprise you; it wasn't." Candy stated and Albert glanced at her, intrigued by the tone of certainty in her voice. "And it's not that old either; it was drawn in June 1914."

"Impossible!" he exclaimed lively. "It would have been only nine years ago and this drawing looks much older! _1814_ is more likely to be true!"

"It _looks _old," she pointed out, "because of the old canvas but it isn't." and still holding firmly the frame, she removed some more tissue-paper to show him the proof. "Look, here is the date."

Albert glanced quickly at the corner where Candy had pointed to and the look on his face showed complete befuddlement. "But… how?" he asked. "I had spent all my time that year, wandering around Lakewood's premises and I would have noticed if there was anyone, painting, or drawing anything. Besides," he paused, "even if _I_ missed it, George was in the villa and he would have most certainly known if anyone was hired to eternize the garden in Lakewood."

"No, he wouldn't." she said calmly. "You are mistaking the years, Albert. The years you are talking about were 1912 and 1913. In 1914 Lakewood stood empty because everyone, including George, was in London. All of us were in St. Paul's College and you were working for the London Zoo, remember? And anyway," she added, "even if George was there, he wouldn't know about any hired artists because nobody was _hired._"

Albert looked at her with concern. "Baby…" he said gently, "I'm afraid you are not making sense. It was drawn in 1914, fine, but somebody _had _to be hired, the question now is, who? This drawing didn't appear out of nowhere!"

Candy shook her head, wondering at her beloved's naiveté. Him, always so perceptive! Why is it that the most obvious answer, the ones that are right under our noses always the most ignored, she asked herself.

"Albert, Albert…" she sighed, "You have never thought of the most obvious option, have you? Have a look at this!" she reached for the card hanging on the ribbon and opened it in front of him.

"'_For the one who can see the hidden, for the connoisseur of the beautiful souls…'_" he read. "That's a lovely dedication but what does it have to do with the drawing itself? And what is it with the _'connoisseur of the beautiful souls…_'? What did she mean?"

"When I first saw it, back on the New Year's Eve party, I told her that the artist who had created it must have had a beautiful soul and she laughed at me." Candy explained. "And now, look once again at the date, carefully!" she moved her thumb a little and removed the rest of the tissue-paper to allow him the full view.

Albert clasped the frame in his hands and brought it closer to his eyes. "_June 1914, R.A.-E._" he read again the tiny inscription. "R.A.-E… R.A.-E…" he repeated slowly, with a small frown. His eyes grew bigger once again, when he understood. "Oh, great heavens!" he shouted.

"Yes." Candy confirmed, nodding. "Rebecca Andrew – Elroy. Great Aunt Elroy. That's why I said that there was no one hired to draw this. It was her. _She _was the one who drew it!"

"Great heavens!" Albert repeated himself, totally dumbfounded. "It never even crossed my mind…" He went silent for a moment again. "Her…? How? She likes _talking _about art but has said on numerous occasions that she never had any talents for it herself! And what's more intriguing is that she had always been repeating that choosing to be a painter is a job for the commoners!"

Candy took the drawing from his hands and placed it flat on the desk before them. "Maybe that's why she wanted you all to believe that she found it, to keep up appearances?" she said. "But I can't believe that you actually bought her story! Didn't it occur to you, even once, to ask yourself what was weird about the way she found it? I was in that attic last summer and I can assure you that everything was covered in a ton of dust. Nobody has cleaned up there for at least a decade. Now, can you picture Aunt Elroy, always so impeccable and avoiding even the tiniest specs of dust, all of a sudden digging for some forgotten family treasures in a very dirty attic? I don't think so. Also…" she added, leaning over the desk and carefully stroked the surface of the thick canvas paper with her fingertips, "Why didn't you ask yourself, why she, such a great fan of Van Gogh and his saturated light and color technique, favors such a simple black and white drawing? And why you not had a proper look at this drawing? I mean, why didn't you look carefully, not at the obvious, presented view but at what is hidden within it?"

Albert sighed quietly, a little overwhelmed by the news. "Candy… in English, please." he pleaded. "When you start speaking about art in this way, even I have problems following you."

Before she replied, a light, dreamy smile graced her lips. "Can't you feel the sadness emanating from this entire drawing? It's pouring down from every line, from every shadow, from everything, even seemingly insignificant details! Like here, look…" she pointed to something and Albert followed her finger with his gaze. "These drops here seem to be a morning mist, condensing at the end of the rose petals but to me they look like tears. Don't you understand why? Think…" she straightened up suddenly and looked him right in the eyes, "what happened in 1913?" she asked and paused, giving him a moment. It didn't take him long for him to search his memories and seeing the understanding emanating from his eyes, she nodded as if to confirm, "Exactly. June 1914 was the first spring after Anthony's death, the first spring without him. This garden, full of beautiful but crying roses, symbolizes somebody's great loss and a very painful longing. No hired artist would have ever painted it in this way."

She leaned over the drawing again and Albert looked at her dreamy profile, mused. Her little gift, growing with passing time, had never ceased to astound him. For a person who lacked talent in performing, she was exceptionally sensitive to art in general. She would have serious problems in telling apart the Baroque from Romanticism or naming the various techniques of painters but she was surprisingly perspicacious when it came to the artist's mood that he was in when he created the said piece. She would simply feel it.

And she happened to be the one who Aunt Elroy found worthy of being given such a personal treasure!

He wondered about his aunt for a moment, too. _My, my… _he thought. _Looks like there are more secrets_ _and surprises in this family than I had ever presumed… Must people always be so blind when it comes to the matters concerning those who they are surrounded by? But then, who would have thought that the one who would never allow anybody from the family the choice to become an artist as a career, has a hidden potential herself?_

"Now it all makes sense." he heard Candy saying.

"What do you mean?" replied Albert, puzzled again.

Candy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly and without taking her eyes of the drawing she said, "When I first saw it, it enraptured me and I couldn't shake off the sensation, the feeling of a similar amazement before. But I couldn't remember where or when and it was only today I finally understood. Your quartz lion, Albert." she explained softly. "Your lion and this drawing had been created by two different people but in the same way, on the same wave of deeply hidden, strong emotions. They both betray a tendency to live a very intense inner life, much more intense than it is visible for others."

She didn't get an answer. When the silence between them continued, she turned to see why Albert wasn't replying. He was looking at her with a warm, mused smile on his lips and in his eyes she read all the tenderness of the world.

"Yes… The Andrew's family never lacked beautiful souls…" she added warmly, gently stroking her beloved's face. She couldn't say that to Aunt Elroy to her face but Albert was the one who would understand. "It's such a pity that she insists on hiding hers…"

TO BE CONTINUED…

O O O

Author's note: To everyone who reads this fiction anonymously – it's would be great to leave your name and a few words of comment… The poor, purple button below is just waiting for you to click on it! Go on, you know you want to! ;PPP

©GosieKin 2010


	19. SURPRISES part 2

**Goodness, it has been so long since I last uploaded that I don't even know what to say! Something that was supposed to take only three weeks took me more than two months... Oh well, I'm sure you all know the story about being busy in today's life... Thanks for being patient anyway... So I will just smartly shut up about myself and continue with the story itself. ****So, where was I...? Oh, here, at...**

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: ****SURPRISES (part 2)**

**7****th**** May 1923, Chicago**

Just like the parlour a few hours before, now, the great mansion's hall echoed with many a cheerful voices. And it was becoming very obvious that requesting Annie and Patty to come slightly earlier than the rest of the other guests was a very wise idea indeed. The initial first minutes of their greeting would have caused curious, puzzled or perhaps even shocked glances from others because it was far from what was commonly considered to be "civilized behaviour". It was full of happiness, wild screams, crazy endless hugs and happy tears of joy from seeing each other after such a long, long period of time. It was full of "oohs" and "ahs" with some "aws" thrown in for good measure. The sounds made by women that cannot be avoided at any cost when they see a friend with child and closing to 'The Date'. And finally, it was full of very girly things such as admiring each other's hairstyles, their make-up and the dresses that they had chosen for the oncoming evening.

Upon hearing this very typical female talk, all three of the gathered men, Albert, Archie and Tom, all rolled their eyes and shared the same look that silently said: _"Women!"_ Noticing that the men were exchanging these meaningful and not so subtle expressions, all three young women simultaneously snorted, seemingly upset and then without warning, burst out in laughter and continued their conversation as if nothing happened. It was the girls five minutes together and they weren't going to change or deviate from any of their chosen subjects. Time was precious as others would be arriving soon, and in front of other people, their meeting wouldn't have gone the way it did. During Patty's almost eighteen months of absence from Chicago, all three of them had exchanged letters, but even the longest of letters could never replace a real face to face meeting, even if it was just a short one. A letter can announce a new haircut, even go so far as to describe it in great minutia detail, to help one imagine how it might look like – but it could never replace the look of seeing the countenance on a friend's face when one walked in with really short hair. A letter can bring good news, about a new member of the family being on the way – and Patty knew about everything almost from the beginning – but it can never replace seeing with one's own eyes the glowing face of a new mother-to-be.

Busy with her friends as she was, Candy couldn't focus solely on them only. The clock ticked and time ran out too soon, sooner than they had expected as the other guests begun to arrive.

Albert was the main host as always, but she, being the reason of the today's fuss, had to spare some time for them too. Just by coincidence, Annie's parents and the entire Weston family arrived nearly at the same time. Montgomery brought his wife, Lydia, their three daughters and also the oldest daughter's husband, Frederick. For a few moments, the entrance of the hall was very reminiscent of a busy bee hive. So there she was, standing by the door, greeting the newcomers, exchanging more or less ceremonial kisses. _Soon, _she thought,_ soon I will be an official hostess here…_

After receiving her birthday wishes and presents, they stood there for few moments, chatting lively.

"The oldest chick, as you know, has already flown from my nest," Monty joked jovially at some point, placing his hand on Albert's shoulder. "Now, I'm just waiting for the younger one…" he nodded towards Melissa, "to follow in her sister's footsteps."

The aforementioned "younger chick" couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Daddy!" she scolded him quietly, blushing, "We've just arrived and already you just couldn't stop yourself from embarrassing me! Don't listen to him, my dears, she added, turning towards Albert and Candy. "Daddy convinced himself that he will soon lose me to another man because he found out that I am seeing someone. All he can talk about recently is my, God forbid, marriage!"

"And what's wrong with getting married then, Melly?" asked Albert, smiling broadly.

"Nothing!" Melissa shrugged innocently. "I just don't understand what the fuss is all about! I see no point of hurrying with anything. Having a boyfriend doesn't necessarily mean I have to marry him. Girls nowadays want to have some fun before they get imprisoned for life!"

Both men, knowing the very modern style and fashion with which Melissa was a big follower of, laughed out loud with understanding and tolerance. Her mother Lydia however, being more reserved than her husband, only smiled politely, took her youngest daughter by the shoulders and proceeded to follow the Brighton's who had already joined Ms. Pony and Sister Maria. It appeared to be hard going as Cecilia didn't even want to hear of leaving her great idol. Albert, seeing the little girl's determination to stay, gently ruffled her dark hair, still smiling warmly. He wasn't surprised; since he had rescued her favourite filly two years ago in Lakewood, he had involuntarily become this girl's personal hero. And as a candid child that she was, she didn't hesitate to show it every time he was invited to the Weston's home. He didn't show it on the outside, but deep in his heart, he took a slight pleasure from the girl's open admiration; it even flattered him a little. He remembered himself how important it was to have idols at the age of ten and he patiently played the role of the beloved "adopted" uncle. Even now, as he was asking Monty some casual questions, he let her stay and enjoy the few short minutes there before the entire family had to join the other participants of the party.

Taking the opportunity now of the two men being temporarily immersed in a deep conversation, Melissa took Candy by the arm and led her a little to one side, out of the men's earshot. She then leaned down and over to her ear, as Candy was a little shorter than herself. "You have no idea how I envy you, that you live on your own!" she whispered dramatically. "So totally independent, no eyes following your every move, your every step, no mother standing above you like a guard, no father ready to marry you off to every single guy you go out with…"

Hearing this, Candy smiled widely. She had never considered Melissa as a real, close friend. But since both families had been friends for many, many years, she knew the Weston's family members and their issues quite well. She didn't talk much about herself though but Melissa on the other hand, she didn't hide her opinions at all, especially when she was in the mood for it, she treated her as a confidante. Unlike her older sister, who inherited her reserved, serious character after traits from their mother, Melissa was hot-headed and playful, frivolous even. And as a recently sworn single which, considering her young and tender age of just twenty, would awake smiles of pity from everyone who listened to her talk about her ever shifting flights of fancy. To the contrary to what she was saying, she was actually far from despising the opposite gender. Her 'being single' manifested into being playful with everyone without the promise of anything concrete. Boys were good for being playthings, she was always saying, one good for taking her to the coffee shop, the other to a cricket game and another one to mess around with at any given dance party organized at one of her countless female friends' houses. Simply speaking, she wanted to live her young life to the fullest and couldn't understand why each one of these boys she openly treated as only a source of good fun, had to be considered as a potential candidate for a son-in-law to be.

"You know very well that he doesn't mean anything bad, Melly…" she said in a confidential tone, trying to convince the stubborn girl. "It's just probably hard for both your parents to swallow knowing that the next generation wants to live in a world ruled in such a totally different way from the one they were raised in. In their time, there were no "going out for fun". The only way you would be allowed to see someone was if you were officially engaged to him. You should feel lucky that they are as liberal as they are to let you lead your own life!"

"You and your indulgencies for everyone!" Melissa rolled her eyes once more. "How can you always come up with a positive side to the story even if others don't see any?"

Candy giggled quietly. "It's all about the point of view, Melly," she replied in a teasing tone. "I'm shorter than you and I can see things you don't usually notice from your height."

Melissa laughed, heartily amused. "You are so funny, Candy!" she uttered, "But I wonder if your point of view would remain the same if you had to listen to the never ending nagging about the necessity of at least choosing a full term boyfriend or the never ending measuring up of all my choices and comparing them to Sir 'Who is way Too Perfect'.

"To Sir Who?" Now, it was Candy who was perplexed.

"To the one he is talking to right now, you silly head!" she whispered discreetly. "Dad dreams of having a son-in-law who would be just like our dear Albert, and always uses him to portray the perfect example to me. Poor daddy…" she let out a fake deep sigh, "he would probably have a heart attack if he knew the truth… I have nothing against Albert, he really is a great guy… But except from being more like an older brother to me, he just isn't my type anyway, you know... my ideal guy…" she tilted her head to her right and smiled dreamily, "_has_ _to_ have dark hair and dark eyes with a seductive gaze! Besides, this polished gentlemanliness of his, it isn't very exciting, is it? I would prefer it if the guy was a little rough around the edges, you know..." she lowered her voice and whispered, "…a little naughty..."

Candy bit hard onto her bottom lip, barely able to contain herself from bursting out with laughter. Maybe she should have gotten upset on Albert's behalf, for having to listen to such things about him but Melissa was so disarmingly charming in her immaturity that she found it impossible to be angry with this girl.

On the contrary; she was rather amused. It was because Melissa couldn't be more farther from the truth about him. What she said had only proved how even the closest of people around him knew so little about him. "Boring" was the one word she would never have used for describing Albert. To her, he was exactly the opposite of what she had just said. Melissa was perhaps far too young and definitely far too focused on looks alone to notice anything beneath the shiny surface of men. But she wasn't going to enlighten her, at least not just yet; so far, Albert was a sort of her own personal treasure and she didn't feel the urge of sharing this information with the entire world. But that was about to change sometime tonight. Tonight, she will stand up proudly, making it all known to the world. Everyone, Melissa included, was going to find out how wonderful a man her fiancée really is. For now everything between them was still a big secret and she kept her poker face all the while, not wanting to spoil the big surprise.

Instead, she decided to be as playful as Melissa was. "Be careful what you wish for," she warned facetiously. "One day your ideal man will really come and sweep you of your feet, but remember that the "naughty ones" as you call them, tend to steal and break women's hearts!"

"No worries," Melissa assured her. "Stealing and breaking hearts is something _I_ excel at!"

Candy shook her head at the girl's fickleness but didn't say anything more. She was long done and now far from the thought of trying to give Melissa any useful advice. The girl never listened anyway and insisted on gaining one's life experience all by one's self. Candy was sure that sooner or later, life would give her a good lesson indeed. "Now, come, Melly!" she encouraged her along, nodding towards the group standing at the bottom of the wide marble stairs. "Annie and Patty – remember her, don't you? – they are waiting over there. I'm sure that you'd like to hear the latest gossip about life in the very emancipated New York!"

After introducing the family to the rest of the guests, especially the ones who had never met the Weston's before, she turned to walk back to Albert, just in time to witness him greet a couple that looked like they were in their mid twenties. They could be only Albert's cousin, Malcolm and his wife. And indeed, the man's hair had the same shade she knew all too well from her fiancée's head. "Mal, Deidre, I'm so glad to see you again! Deidre, my dear," she heard Albert's warm voice, and as he bent over to kiss the back of woman's hand, she saw the striking flame colour of her hair, the same one she recalled from their first meeting, "you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you!"

The redhead with full but very attractive feminine curves, smiled charmingly. "Hello, Albert!" she replied, "You don't look so bad yourself, dashing as usual and getting more chivalrous each time we meet!"

_Well, wouldn't you know; another flirtatious one at the gate! _Candy smiled to herself, amused. _And who is it this time? Deidre? The once super shy Deidre?_

A few more steps placed forwards and the couple noticed her too. Another ceremonial greeting, another present received then followed by another chat. Deidre with a smile, noted that they disappointed that her work had prevented her from attending the Christmas dinner last year, when the family had reunited all under one roof after so many years.

"As much as we wish to have things our way, we are not always the masters of our own fate," Candy apologized with the most dazzling of her smiles. "But I too regret that I couldn't make it back then; I see I have missed a lot. Albert," she addressed him in a very formal tone of voice, "you never mentioned how much they have both changed! If not for your famous family hair," she continued, facing Malcolm again, "I doubt I would have recognized you! Like your lovely wife – you look even more handsome than I remember!"

The blond man lifted his hand as if he was going to run his fingers through his hair and stopped before he touched it, probably not wanting to mess up its perfectly maintained shape. This instinctive gesture signalled his manly pride, and indeed, he had every right to be proud of this particular feature of his. Like Albert's, his white-blond hair was thick and shiny. With few exceptions though; while Albert's mane was slightly wavy and with one stubborn, untamed wisp always rakishly flailing about on his forehead, his was completely straight and much shorter.

He has changed; she vaguely remembered him as a man of medium height who looked much taller due to his exceptional lankiness, now however, five years on and he seemed much taller, nearly as tall as Albert. He was still very slim, although no longer as skinny as when she had first met him. Gone was the baby face she remembered; instead, his cheekbones firmly protruded through the skin and a fancy moustache adorned above his thin lips. Barely an adult when she had first met him, now he looked like a mature man.

"Oh well, time is merciless for some of us as the years go by..." Malcolm sighed, pretending to be serious. "And obviously, this doesn't apply to you, my dear. You look scandalously young, Candy!"

"I agree." Deidre concurred with her husband. "For the sake of the rest of the representatives of the weaker gender that's gathered here, you should really stop pretending to be a teenager!"

"No problem; do you think wearing grandma's bonnet would do the job?" Candy retorted smoothly and all four of them laughed soundly.

"Why don't you discuss this with the other jealous ones, I'm sure they will have quite a few ideas too," Albert hinted, giving just a subtle clue to finish this part of the greeting. "I still have one more person to attend to and it seems like he has just arrived."

Indeed, a single toot from a horn and then, the slamming of the car doors outside suggested that the aforementioned guest has in fact arrived.

Candy led the Reynolds to the group. This time it looked like it was going to take slightly longer as only George and both Cornwell's knew the newcomers. She responded with a smile of thankfulness for George's discreet proposition of him taking care of the process of introductions to the rest of the guests and with that, once more she headed back towards the hall entrance.

With interest she watched Albert shaking his dark-haired friend's hand in an effusive manner. She couldn't hear what he had said to him, for she was still too far away. As she covered the distance between the stairs and the entrance, she only heard the man's reply: "Trust me, it's _my _pleasure I can finally get to see your famous family mansion from the inside!"

Albert replied something, and once again she heard only a few scattered words here and there.

"No, but hey, maybe I can find something for myself at this very party?" the man added.

"Such an incorrigible bachelor such as you?" she heard Albert's riposte, followed by their nearly simultaneous chuckles.

"What do you want, pal; especially as an incorrigible bachelor, I can't resist this nice bouquet of beauties you have here! Everything from raven all the way through to red and to blond!"

"As the only blond girl at this party I take it as a personal compliment, thank you," Candy cut in. And it was only then that both men noticed her presence. She came out from behind Albert's back and stood in front of his friend, amused by the slight embarrassment of being caught, reflected in his hazel eyes. "You must be Connor," she greeted him, stretching out her hand in a quick but graceful gesture. "Nice to meet you. I'm Candy."

"Connor Powell, at your service, Ma'am," he replied gallantly, bending down to place a kiss on her hand. "It's an honour to finally meet the one to whom my friend has lost his heart to. My sincere congratulations for the both of you and also, I'd like to wish you a very happy birthday."

If she hadn't heard his playful tones moments earlier, she might have been fooled, so smoothly was he able to change from a rapscallion and into a man of impeccable manners. But she did hear, and she knew all too well how quickly Albert was able to change from frolicking joker into a gentleman or from lazy nature admirer and into a sharp businessman in seconds and it occurred to her that his school friend could have similar characteristics. Something must have brought them together in the first place all those years ago, she was guessing, why not this same feature... And indeed, when he raised his head, she noticed this specific look in his eyes, well known to her mischievous spark which went better with the jokes he had said earlier rather than with this polite smile he was currently wearing.

"If your declaration of being at my service wasn't only just an empty promise," she said, "I'd like to use that privilege of being in command straight away and ask you for two things. May I?"

Connor lifted his eyebrows, clearly surprised by her direct and unusual enquiry. Unsure how to react, he looked at Albert but here he was met with an indifferent shrug and an innocent grin. Discouraged by the lack of his friend's helpfulness, he was about to step into the unknown. "Anything for the birthday girl, no matter what the cost," he stated. "So, what would that be?"

"It's nothing big, don't worry," she assured him because he didn't look too secure. "First of all, be as kind as to not mention the word 'congratulation' until the official announcement. Even my closest friends had thus far been kept unaware of what's going on, so please, don't spoil the surprise, okay?"

Connor immediately relaxed, regaining his initial self-confidence. His smile became more apparent and he nodded, making a silent promise. "And the other?" he inquired.

"_Never_," Candy punctuated firmly, "under _any_ circumstances call me 'Ma'am"! It makes me feel like an old matron."

This time Connor's smile became very wide. "Not only beautiful and enjoys surprising her friends but also with a fiery temperament!" he counted out not even hiding his delight. "By all means, I'm bowing before you! My dear, consider yourself lucky that you are…" he cleared his throat and lowered his voice to the minimum, "…engaged because if you weren't, you wouldn't be single anymore by the end of this very evening. I would have kidnapped you and lock you in my secret tower, jealous of your beauty. I would have kept you there forever, hidden away from the world, for my eyes only to cherish!"

Now, it was her turn to open her eyes wider and glance at Albert in genuine astonishment, unsure how to react or what to say. She was quite used to the witty repartee from him but Connor's statement was so unexpectedly bold that it left her speechless for a moment.

"Meet my ever charming friend, an 'interesting' addition at every party he attends," Albert explained with a smirk. "Don't take him too seriously, he lures every single woman on his way like this, single or not."

Still, it took her a good long moment to recover and find her tongue. "If that's the case, I will pretend I didn't hear the threat of kidnapping. But, by all means," she said, mimicking Connor's persona, "meeting you sheds a whole new light on all the mysterious cases of the women occupying the cardiology ward in our hospital! No one could explain the reason behind their mysterious heart aches and I believe I might finally give a diagnosis! All these cases are just hearts broken by the one known as the mysterious Mr. C! Luckily, I had taken a very powerful vaccination..." she quickly shot a meaningful glance at her fiancée, "...and I'm immune."

Seeing his friend's sudden dumbfounded facial expression written on his face, Albert couldn't hold himself anymore and finally burst out with a quick but sound laughter. "This is what you get when you challenge Candy!" he uttered. "Now, quickly apologize _to her _for underestimating her and _to me_for trying to seduce her right under my nose or you will not be getting any birthday cake!"

"You'd better do!" Candy acknowledged. "He might not seem like it at first but he is very possessive."

"From the deepest depths of my heart then; my sincerest apologies to you both," Connor bowed his head slightly. His reply might have sounded sincere and he himself might have looked remorseful had it not been for the mischievous spark shining in his eyes once again, when he looked up. "You have to forgive me, Candy; I lose my head for every single woman I meet, and you, you truly are one of a kind."

Candy restrained herself from shaking her head. Something was telling her that she had encountered yet another incorrigibly person who had a flirtatious nature. _It seems like this is really infectious nowadays,_ she thought to herself. She didn't want to form her opinion too quickly but she couldn't shake off the first impression that Connor is perhaps incredibly charming but also, fickle as a butterfly, attracted to all the flowers on the meadow at the same time. It's not that she didn't like him–there was something about him that could bewitch everyone – but she wouldn't like to see any of her friends being exposed to his irresistible charms and then disappointed by his capriciousness. "I forgive you," she said smiling, seemingly playful, but her eyes expressed a little warning. Wagging her finger, she added, "but don't do it ever again. For now," she changed the subject, "let's join the others. It's only fifteen minutes to six o'clock and I would like everyone to be introduced to each other before the dinner starts."

As she spoke, Albert watched his beloved in silence. He was surprised by the way she was fulfilling her role has the unofficial hostess. In the past, when she was living in the mansion, it was his duty and his only to be in charge of everything. She was always in the background, rather passive than active participants of any events that took place here before. Now, as he watched her, he couldn't stop wondering at her abilities in making people feel at ease with her whenever they were in her presence. The way she greeted all their guests, the way she was taking the initiative when necessary was so spontaneous and fresh and yet so polite and graceful, he couldn't help but feel an immense pride.

And following her request, he motioned his friend towards the rest of the guests who stood in two loose groups, immersed in more or less lively conversations.

"My friends," Albert spoke aloud, gaining their attention. The level and discordance of chatter soon died down imperceptibly. When everyone was silent, he pointed towards Connor, "this is my old companion, Connor Powell, the man I had spent the craziest of times with at the university. Believe me, it was all thanks to him that I could bear all those years of studying law without going insane. Most of you know very well how much I enjoy working in a big office." he joked. Cachinnations were heard emanating from where Monty and Archie stood. "Connor," he went on, turning to his friend, "I do believe George is the only person here that you have met before…?"

After the two men shook hands, Albert smoothly went through the introductions of the older generation. He smile grew wider when he finally got to the younger group. "This rogue here happens to be my nephew, Archie Cornwell," he said. "And this is his wife, Annie…"

For a moment Candy watched everybody in silence. She couldn't help but notice the curious glances that her friends spared to the only man in the room that they had never met before. Everybody else, at one point or another, at least have heard of or have met each other before. But the most interest from the group she noticed came from Melissa's eyes. The second Albert called her name out to introduce her, her eyes lit up like Christmas tree lights, and on her lips there appeared a very tantalizing smile.

Candy frowned slightly; something that she just quite put her finger on. What was it? Was it about something this girl had said earlier on? It bothered her that she couldn't remember it straight away. What were they talking about exactly? There was definitely something about her silly frustrations with her parents, about her preferences, she even gave her the description of her ideal, dreamy man…

Candy's eyes opened wider when she finally made the connection. Quickly, she recomposed herself and was already much calmer, she glanced at her fiancée's friend. A quiet sigh escaped her lips. If she wasn't mistaken, and it seemed as if she wasn't, Melissa looked like she couldn't prise her eyes away from the newcomer... the dark hair, the dark eyes of a seductive gaze… if judging from the look only, Melissa had just met her 'ideal man'. Had Candy been more careless, she would have just smiled at the opportunity of two family friends meeting in such circumstances. What's better than two incorrigibly flirtatious natures, meeting under the same roof and having fun together? Melissa, despite being impossibly immature, had already reached her legal age so that made them both adults. There was nothing to worry about, was there?

She wasn't one of those people that foresaw trouble in everything around her, but this time, she could smell oncoming trouble from a mile away.

Candy shook her head, trying to shake off the gloomy thoughts that had started to possess her and she forced herself to look away. She had plenty of time to worry about that later; for now she didn't want to spoil her good mood.

She looked around at all the gathered guests. Because she was busy running back and forth, only now did she have the moment to have a proper look at all the invited ones and their doings. Only now she noticed that the guests had split into two groups, in the most natural of ways: by age. The first one included the Brighton's, Monty with his wife, George, Miss Pony and Sister Maria. The others gathered were all the youths, including herself. And – what was surprising – Mrs. O'Brien. The elderly lady joined the group of youngsters a good few minutes ago and however it might have looked like she was the chaperone placed to watch the youth, the viewer would have had to change his mind quickly. Patty's grandma couldn't be more different from the typical, as Melissa would say, 'harsh guard'. Completely silver-haired but lively like a spark, with her frank and warm sense of humour, she had already broken the ice and now she was joking along with the others. As minutes passed, it was becoming apparent that _she _was the actual leader of this group. Candy couldn't stop her smile of fondness. Grandma Marsha was truly unique.

The quick glance she spared at both groups revealed that there was only one person missing. _It's pretty obvious she won't come down. _Candy thought, musing again. _A present from her is already enough… I can't expect miracles!_

The chat she had with Madame Elroy a couple of hours ago filled her with some sort of hope. She knew about the conversation Albert had with his aunt a month before and how stormy it was. Although none of them spoke about it aloud, the gift she had received today was something more than just a present; it felt like a sign of silent acceptance. She didn't dare press old Elroy for more. Not just yet. Still, it felt like she would need a miracle to see Elroy come down for the engagement party.

But miracles do happen.

Exactly five minutes before six o'clock, Madame Elroy appeared on the first floor and walked down the staircase. Candy's heart skipped a beat from joy and she sighed with relief.

As she was looking up the staircase, she couldn't see the exact reaction on Albert's face. He too, seemingly relaxed through the entire evening, felt a little nervous deep down. He didn't want to show it but he was really anxious to have his aunt's blessing and her appearance seemed to be the sign of it. Much relieved, he quickly approached her and carefully introduced to her those she didn't know.

As always with Aunt Elroy, wherever she was, as if summoned by a magic wand, Madsen would appear. Thus far he had been standing by, or rather, guarding a set of huge double doors, silently sulking for not being used in the due proper process of announcing each new arrival. Now he finally had an opportunity to fulfil his beloved pompous duties in the only way he accepted. He stood by the double doors leading to the main dining room, straightened up like a soldier ready for inspection and waited for a sign from the master of the household. When he finally received it, he turned and with a gesture so ceremonial, so exaggerated as if he was opening a royal treasury, he opened the doors until both its wings stood wide open. Then, he turned around and faced the guests, and having been given permission earlier on, he announced proudly: "Sirs and Madams, please follow me inside. The dinner will be served soon."

Albert personally led all of the guests to their assigned places. He finally took his seat at the top of the table, earlier holding the chair for his aunt, who was sitting at her usual place at the far end of the table. He had Archie with Annie and her parents, Connor, Patty, Monty with his wife and their youngest daughter and Mrs. O'Brien on one side and Candy, Miss Pony, Sister Maria, Tom, Melissa, Frederick, Laura, George, Deidre and Malcolm on the other.

"Now, my friends," he spoke once everyone was seated at their assigned places, "before the power at this table compels me enough to give a very unfortunate long speech, I'd just like to simply say: Bon Appetite!"

A few discreet smiles here and there told him that this little joke was a good move. The moment of inviting the guests from the quite informal gathering back in the hall to a much more formal looking dining room was always very fragile and he never liked it. It always took a good few minutes to restore the previous, cheery moods, as everyone always seemed to be obligated to behave in the most poshest way possible. And for sure, one of the reasons for the increase in uncomfortable seriousness at the table was his aunt. He didn't blame her though. There was just simply something about her, something in her demeanour and attitude, even when she was smiling, that smile alone intimidated almost everyone around, even him sometimes. What made the difference was that he knew her enough to be able to see a really caring person behind this icy cold mask. The others only saw an old, unapproachable lady whose position demanded unquestioned respect.

He had predicted this earlier and took some precautions to ease this initial tensed silence. As the servants started to serve the first course, which was a thick vegetable and noodle soup, he nodded discreetly to Madsen, who was already waiting on the side, next to the highly polished wooden cupboard. The butler immediately turned, and it barely took two seconds before the delicate sounds of classical music filled the entire room.

The surprised looks and smiles becoming wider told him that once again, he had made a good move. Everybody was still silent but their moods were certainly changing; no one was focused on keeping up this appearance of deadly seriousness anymore. It is an ancient truth that music soothes the soul, and he had planned to use this trick from the very beginning, since he began in the early stages of planning this party. But since hiring any orchestra for such a small party wasn't an option, he decided to use a gramophone instead. It had been actually Candy's suggestion. "Remember our lovely evening at 'Castellani's' in Waukegan and how they played the music at some point?" she had asked him three weeks back. He did remember, of course he did; how could he ever forget – and he admitted that it was a great idea. Played so unexpectedly, it brought the element of surprise, breaking the first impasse and elicited the slight smiles on everyone's lips, thereby relaxing everyone. Meanwhile, the second course had arrived. Pan fried fillet of sole in a rich creamy parsley sauce. At this point, Albert began small talk with those sitting near him, giving a clear sign to everyone seated that conversations over the table was allowed. And it, again, worked. One by one, conversations began to take place all around. Courteous at first, but it wasn't until the slow cooked, spit roast pork in sweet cranberry sauce with a generous helping of extra buttery duchess potatoes, that it began to get lively.

"Lydia, my dear," Monty asked from above little Cecilia's head, "would you like more wine?"

"Yes please, darling," she replied. A moment later she turned and looked across the table, where both their older daughters sat. "Laura, have you ever tried such a marvellous roast? I've always wondered how they get such a unique flavour and crispy skin."

"I agree, mama, we need to ask for the recipe later on."

Sitting right next to Mrs. Brighton, Connor leaned over to his left, to Patty. "Miss O'Brien, please forgive me for my boldness…" he said in a hushed voice, "would you permit me to skip all these uncomfortable titles and use our Christian names?"

Patty replied with a clear gaze from her big brown eyes. "But of course you can!" she said delicately, with a somewhat reserved little smile, "Please, call me Patty, as everybody does."

"May I call you Patricia?" Connor moved at little closer and looked so intensely into her eyes that a slight hint of blushing red adorned her cheeks and she had to lower her eyelids to hide the sudden embarrassment. "That is such a beautiful name," he said smoothly.

Patty didn't reply. He didn't make any obvious suggestions but her sixth sense and rather rich experience she had after living amongst this sort of men in New York was telling her that he was trying to hit on her. This automatically made her feel uncomfortable. She was never comfortable around men; the only thing she had learnt to perfection was to mask her insecurities. And that's why it was only when she was sure that she was again calm and collected that she looked up at her neighbour at the table. "Patricia is fine too," she agreed with a polite but indifferent smile.

A few chairs further down the table, Madame Elroy was quietly inquiring Malcolm about his family. Judging only by the dry tone of her voice, it was almost too easy to say that she wasn't truly concerned about the subject and her questions were asked due to her politeness but Malcolm seemed to be unaware of it. With a voice full of honest respect but also very warmly, he replied to her questions. "Mother is doing well, thank you, Aunt Elroy," he was saying. "She sends greetings and has invited you for the summer if you only wish to visit us..."

On the opposite end of the table, a completely different atmosphere ruled the corner. While Annie's parents were preoccupied, busy chatting with Miss Pony, Archie used this perfect opportunity to give Albert a piece of his mind. "I am so not going to forgive you for calling me a 'rogue'!" he complained, seemingly very upset. "Watch out," he warned, smirking, "I might start calling you 'dear Uncle William' again!"

"Call me 'uncle'," Albert snapped back quietly, without a second's hesitation, "and I will immediately disown you!"

"But you know, you really_ are_ my uncle..." Archie stubbornly pushed a bit further, ignoring his wife's suppressed giggles. "So, ideally, I should act accordingly to my position as a junior member of such a very important and widely influential family and pay you the respect that you deserve as, you know… a representative of the older generation..."

"Archie..." this time, a tone of warning sounded noticeably in Albert's voice but his lips remained in a curled restrained smile, "if you hadn't noticed already, we have a good few lawyers amongst us, and I would like you to know that the action I had just mentioned could take less than twenty minutes counting from this very moment in time."

This time it wasn't only Annie who had to fight hard to hide her amusement.

"While we are still on that particular subject..." Tom added, fruitlessly trying to keep a straight face, "Annie, sis, when exactly are you going to make me 'an uncle'?"

"In about a month's time," Annie replied cheerfully. "Finally Archie will lose his excuse of being 'the junior' in his line of the family and hopefully, he will really have to start acting like a grown up. He should as well because, you know, once the _real_ junior is born, somebody here…" she glanced meaningfully at Albert, "…will become a 'Great Uncle William' and such a position demands much more respect than just "Uncle William', so…" she hung her voice, nearly choking now from the restrained laughter. Candy and Tom agreed with her from across the table, although still discreetly, noticeably because of those sitting nearby.

"You too, Annie? And you two as well?" Albert sighed and looked at the ceiling as if he was expecting to receive some help from the heavens. When no help arrived, he sighed again and gave them all a glance that was supposed to look mean. "Thanks a lot; now I really feel like an antiquated uncle!" he sulked overdramatically and put his cutlery back down on the plate, "Fine, since I am such a decrepit old man, I demand you to bring me my false teeth and help me masticate my food…"

This time a wave of muffled laughter sounded quite loudly above the table and reached the seating further down. From the place where she was sitting, Patty had been listening to the banter that was going on with an amused smile. She too giggled discreetly. Oh, how she missed hearing her friends teasing each other this way! How she missed hearing their voices…! Especially…

"Tell me something, Patricia..." Connor's voice interrupted her thoughts. He turned towards her, covering her view, "…how did you end up in Albert's sacred circle of friends?"

"Oh, it's a long story," Patty replied, a warm smile still firmly on her lips. Now, as he seemed to be asking about more neutral subjects, she felt more comfortable and confident again. "I met him through Candy; we went to the same college in London," she explained. "How about you Connor? He mentioned that you two have known each other from the time at university. What brought you two together?"

Connor laughed quietly. "You mean what on earth could have _possibly_ brought such two contrasting characters together, the good and the bad?" he corrected her with a meaningful wink, irony wasn't foreign to him and he had no problem with laughing at himself. "I suppose it was the appetite for adventure, which was at the time, sneaking into the various forbidden parts of the university and the dormitory," he added with a funny smile as if he was thinking back to the memories of those days. "The difference between us, the way I see it today was that he was truly like a sneaky cat, while I was pushing the limits in quite a risky way. The result was that I was getting us into trouble and he was getting us out," he laughed again and his mirth was so infectious that Patty couldn't help but to laugh as well.

"It sounds just like him," she agreed. "And like Candy," she added automatically. "She also never hesitates to stand up for her friends when they are in need."

"And that sounded as if you knew both of them very well," Connor noted. "As if you weren't just friends with them but the very best of friends… Am I correct?"

"You are," she confirmed. "We are indeed very close. Both of them, I mean Candy and Annie…" she added quickly, "…are like sisters to me. Having such a strong friendship that has survived all the way since our time in school is a blessing... Actually..." she mused, getting a little more serious, "…having all of them: Candy, Annie, Archie and Albert as friends is a true blessing."

"I couldn't have put it better," Connor agreed with her. "A true friendship is indeed a blessing," He too also became more serious for a moment but soon the usual spark shone again in his eyes. "So, I guess we have something in common, Patricia..." he smiled charmingly, "To common friends that we have known since school!"

Patty held his intense gaze without blushing this time but also without a smile. "Yes..." she replied calmly, with a slow, careful nod, "I guess you can put it that way..."

"Speaking of the family..." Connor continued, this time not noticing her reserved tone at all, "Let me tell you something and I hope you will take it as a compliment... you have an absolutely fantastic grandmother! I have never in my life heard anybody who would so openly refer to herself as crazy and unpredictable. I am so totally charmed by her!"

Patty's eyes opened wider, indicating that she was surprised by hearing such an unusual compliment. But her companion's face seemed to express such an honest rapture that she believed he wasn't making fun of her as she had initially thought. "Oh, find me somebody who doesn't adore her!" she said with a voice full of fondness she had for the woman in question. "Well, what she said does indeed portray her situation quite accurately. It's not a secret that the entire family has to constantly keep an eye on her to stop her from doing her pranks but everyone is absolutely crazy about her!"

"Sounds like a huge pile of quite a few interesting stories to be told…" Connor turned towards her completely. "May I count on hearing them from you one day…?"

Patty calmly but firmly shook her head. "I'm afraid I am not a very good story teller…"

"Oh, but you are, Patty!" a third voice interrupted them, joining in their conversation unexpectedly. They turned away from each other and looked across the table to where the voice was coming from; Melissa with a charming smile glued onto her lips was looking at them expectantly. "You were telling so many anecdotes about New York's high life earlier on! Why don't you continue? I'm just dying to hear more!"

Patty didn't mind changing the subject. She felt much more comfortable when she didn't have to talk about herself too much.

Meanwhile, the woman who officially declared herself as unpredictable, had just finished casting her charming spell on the Weston's who now sat exchanging glances full of warm amusement to each other. And without wasting even a single second, she proceeded to work her magic on another unsuspecting victim. Her new target that she had picked was no other than Aunt Elroy herself. She wanted to snap Elroy out of her strict seriousness that she had maintained since the very beginning of the dinner and make her join in with the others in their conversations. The task seemed impossible as so far, no one had managed to engage the very silent senior member of the family for anything longer than just a few sentences. But Marsha O'Brien had thrown out the word 'impossible' from her dictionary a long time ago.

"My dear Madame Elroy," she chirped, earning herself a glance from a pair of cold blue eyes, "I'm so glad to finally have the chance to speak with you! You were so busy with your relatives earlier on that I didn't want to interrupt…"

A single slight nod, which would not be out of place if it came from the queen to generously allow her subject to speak in her presence, was her way of giving permission to speak.

Like Mrs. O'Brien cared for permission!

"I simply can't find the right words to express how much I love your house, Madame Elroy!" she continued with excitement. "My granddaughter has been here many times before, visiting her friend, but for me, it's the first time that I've seen it. She often told me about the interior and I see now that she didn't exaggerate at all. It's a truly wonderful house and it's clear to me that it is maintained with very high taste! You must be really proud of it."

With the words still trailing on her lips, she already knew that from her long life experience had prompted her to say the right things. There was probably not one single woman on Earth who could resist an honest compliment about her house, even this harsh woman wasn't the exception. Her thin lips widened into a small polite smile but what really gave way were her eyes, now a few tones warmer.

"Thank you, Mrs. O'Brien, that's very kind of you," Madame Elroy replied with another slight nod. "This is the Andrew's main household, built over a hundred years ago by my grandfather and I am very proud of it."

Indeed, in her usually impassionate voice, a note of pride could be heard. It was a pride carefully hidden yet impossible to hide completely. Mrs. O'Brien smiled knowingly to herself. In her quite a full and long life, she had encountered many people who valued their households a lot. In fact, many of them valued their magnificent mansions, impressive residences and comfortable villas and abodes way too much, sometimes caring more about the 'family pride' than for the family itself. As for her though, it was a long time ago when she first opened her eyes to the shallowness of such a life and decided that she was done living for the sake of appearances only. For her, life itself was something she valued the most and when it came to the pride, the source of it for her were in the people she loved and of their successes.

But she also knew that this wasn't something she could openly say right now. Not many people, especially not from her own stiffer generation, could understand properly of such a point of view.

"Our family also had a big mansion, in England," she said, still smiling. "I had lived there since I was a little girl and then through my entire married life but now I'm glad that I moved to Florida."

"Why is that?" Madame Elroy couldn't contain her wonder. "Don't you regret leaving the family nest behind?"

"And what is to regret, my dear Madame Elroy?" she replied with a tone full of certainty. "Such a big mansion that we had was perhaps very handy when it came to inviting a big number of guests around but dear me, it felt horribly lonely when they were all gone. I find living in a smaller house much more pleasant."

"One's position in society brings the expectations with it." Madame Elroy replied dryly, stiffening. "Feelings lonely or not, it doesn't matter, for as long as one knows that their house gives them prestige."

"_Expectations or not_, it doesn't matter," Mrs O'Brien retorted, enacting Elroy's words, which made the latter narrow her eyes. "Life is what matters. Happiness of those whom I love is what matters. Why would I miss a house where I've always felt that I was in a beautifully decorated golden cage that had drafts that didn't help my rheumatism, when I can live in warm, sunny Florida? You should try it too, my dear! I can assure you that its air works miracles for the old, rheumatic joints!"

Madame Elroy's face colour instantly changed to an angry red blush. "Mrs. O'Brien, a woman's age isn't a subject of public discussion!" she said in an icy cold voice, acting as if she didn't hear the reference about rheumatism. "That's indecent!" she said as she tried to discreetly hide her slightly quivering hands under the table.

"And what is indecent in talking about age?" Mrs. O'Brien wasn't giving up. The topic of the lonely life in the mansion forgotten, or at least left aside for now, she was focused on fighting another one of those silly bon-ton rules. "Everyone is going to age one day and there's nothing unnatural about it! Silver hair is part of life! Silver hair is my pride and joy! Funny, when I was young I felt like an old lady, and now when I'm old, I feel young…" she laughed sonorously. "I will tell you something in secret," she added, leaning towards Madame Elroy as if to share some great utmost private secrets, and her enthusiasm was so infectious, that the other woman, dumbfounded, automatically mirrored this gesture. "Senility could be beautiful if you only want it to be! No obligations, no worries, the responsibility has already transferred onto the younger generation's shoulders… I can run free and allow myself a little craziness now and then, and later, I can still pretend to be a sweet helpless granny… Everyone spoils me later. My silver hair is my golden ticket… But I beg you, Madame Elroy…" she unexpectedly changed the subject again and gave her companion a look, "for one thing…"

"What?" the woman was so shocked by her guest's bold statement that she forgot to be incensed.

"Please, don't tell anybody," Mrs. O'Brien whispered a little dramatically, "because that would be the end of my freedom!"

From her place at the other side of the table, Candy watched all the guests with a contented smile. Busy talking with everyone around, she couldn't stop herself from glancing at everybody once in a while. What she had observed so far was very pleasant. Although she wouldn't use 'having fun' as a precise description of what was happening around her as the dinner progressed but everyone seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and that was enough for now. She knew that there would be plenty of time for much more free talk later on, in the parlour where they planned to move to as soon as this part of the party was over. Oh yes, plenty of things to talk about, she concluded, smiling even wider.

A sudden bout of giggles a few chairs down gained her attention. Even without turning, she recognized the voice. Melissa. She was seated between Sister Maria and Laura's husband and by coincidence she was also exactly right opposite Connor. And just like Candy foresaw, the girl didn't stop making efforts to gain his attention straight from the off. But to the contrary to what she was expecting, the girl's efforts were fruitless, for since the beginning of dinner, all he seemed to be utterly focused on was… Patty. Candy couldn't really hear their conversation earlier on but she didn't really need to hear it to know that he was using his charms on her friend. That got her worried a bit. Patty had become much more self-confident over the years, but deep inside, she was still a very sensitive girl and it wasn't hard to hurt her. She wasn't going to let that happen; Patty deserved more than just being charmed and left broken hearted. She made a mental note to speak to Albert about this matter later on.

As the servants began cleaning the table and replacing the main plates with the smaller ones, intended for the desert, she realized that there wasn't much time left before everything fell into place tonight. It was only a matter of minutes before the birthday cake was delivered and after that…

It was then that Albert stood up and clanged his teaspoon against his empty water glass. "My friends… everyone…" he called." May I have your attention, please?"

The sharp pinging sound from the glass cut though the loudness of the chatter like a hot knife through the butter. Although everybody was occupied with their neighbours, nobody needed a further explanation of what this sound signified. Everyone turned in the direction to where it was coming from and sat with the expectant faces.

"My dear fiends," he went on, "all of you know the reason behind today's celebration so I'm not going to dwell on about it for too long. Simply put; I'd like to raise a toast."

While he was still speaking, the maids, discreetly coordinated by Hannah, entered the dining room. The two of them were moving slowly forward, carefully, for what they were carrying on the tea trolley required delicate handling. It was a big, two tier cake, placed on a shining, silver plateau, decorated with various exotic fruits and chocolate, and as the maids approached table, the slim candles with the flames on top of them, danced playfully. Suddenly, everyone in the room simultaneously stood up and started to sing 'Happy Birthday to You'. Albert moved his chair aside and the maids pushed the trolley onto the newly created space. Another maid approached the table with a large tray packed with champagne flutes filled to the brim and began distributing them among the guests. Even little Cecilia received an 'adult' glass, except hers was filled with lemonade. The birthday song now finished, it was replaced by loud whooping and cheering.

"Candy…" Albert continued, "All the best and Happy Birthday! And never let go of that sunlight you always carry with you! Now, make a wish!"

Candy stood up too and holding her hair back, bent over the cake. Just before she took a deep breath, she smiled to herself. Then, she blew. Twenty three… Eighteen… Ten… Four more… She felt dizzy already and there was still one more stubborn candle left… With the last effort of her lungs, she blew out the remaining air … and the last flame on the last candle flickered like it was doing its last mad dance, dwindled and dissipated in a small cloud of white smoke.

As if this was the sign that everyone had waited for, the room spontaneously exploded in a rapturous applause. One couldn't recognize separate voices among many others as all the shouts of "Cheers!" and "Happy Birthday!" entwined together in a short but chaotic ovation. And only when it had gradually died down, one single voice called out, "Speech, Candy, speech!"

Although the voice sounded almost as if it belonged to a woman, Candy instantly knew who the pseudo female voice belonged to. There was only one person here who was capable of pulling that off. And _he_ was sitting right across the table. "Please, don't..." she laughed with embarrassment, without even looking in the prankster's direction. "You know I'm not good with speeches..."

No such luck. Her weak protestations were drowned out by the others starting to join in the chant in unison. It was less than two seconds before a chorus of 'speech, speech, speech...' echoed the entire room, supported by Archie's now normal voice.

Candy leaned slightly over the table. "I could cheerfully kill you for that, you know?" she murmured, narrowing her eyes playfully at him.

Archie only grinned wider. "Pleasure," he replied smugly.

Shrugging and smiling helplessly, she turned towards the others.

"Oh dear, looks like I have no choice…" she began when the ovations finally ceased, "but bear in mind: you wanted it! Because, you know what people say…you know, the thing about the brain being a wonderful thing? They say that it never stops functioning from the time you're born until the moment you stand up to make a speech… I guess my mind right now is a prime example of this saying…"

Her joke earned her a burst of hearty laughter from everybody.

"I'm seriously not good with speeches so forgive me for being really quick. So… uhm…well…" she paused to think. "Firstly I'd like to just say a massive thank you to you all for coming tonight. All of you gathered here are either family or the closest of friends, but it's not very often we can get together and see each other in these numbers at once. So, I'm really glad that we somehow have managed it this time around. Secondly, I hope you're all having a good time; if not, please don't hesitate to complain, I will do everything to remedy it," she added with a timid smile. Once again everyone laughed warmly, given as an obvious answer in saying that there will be no complaints at all. "The evening is not over yet so, please enjoy! And," she added, about to finish "without any further ado, let's just continue the party because I see that Archie is pining after the cake."

The guests all laughed once more, even Aunt Elroy managed a smile, well aware of her grand nephew's weakness for any sweet baked foodstuffs, and only Archie himself had the look of a scolded child written across his face.

"Remind me never to get myself into your bad books," he murmured so quietly that only Annie, Albert and Tom heard it.

Without replying, Candy grinned back at him in exactly the same way he had done a minute ago. Then she winked at him.

A discreet sign was given and the maids pulled the trolley aside and began carefully cutting the cake into portions. One by one, everyone at the table sat back down on his or her chair, waiting to be served.

The visual cake itself made everyone eager to try its hidden sweet delights. The fairly huge two tier cake was covered in white chocolate. Adorned on the very top of it was a wide range of exotic fruits from strawberries to mangos to Chinese gooseberries*36*.

Mixed in with the pineapple twirls, vines of cranberries, red grape and blueberries hung over the sides lazily like a beautiful mini multi coloured waterfall.

Albert waited until he was sure that everyone had finished their dessert and that the tables were once again cleaned. He couldn't help but notice a couple of surprised looks when the nearly empty champagne flutes were refilled. He smiled and clanged the glass again.

"If you thought that was the end of the toast," he said as everybody looked at him, "you are very much mistaken. Candy's birthday, as important as it is, isn't the only reason for today's celebration."

To say that their guests exchanged perplexed and befuddled looks to each other would have been understatement. One thing was for sure; a complete silence fell over the table and Albert knew he had everybody's undivided attention.

"Everybody here knows that Candy works at the hospital and she proves to be great in her chosen profession, but not everybody knows that for some time now, she has been improving her knowledge even further in medical school. You know her enough to be able to say how much she loves showing off… I think she proved it a few minutes ago anyway…" he said jokingly, for a reply he received a dozen or so smiles. "She has persisted with a great bravery, saying it's nothing big, but luckily I haven't even got an ounce of her scruples and on her behalf, I'm going to proudly announce that two weeks ago she had passed her exams, more so; she passed on the first try and she passed brilliantly! And now she holds a diploma as a nurse anaesthetist!"

There was nobody here who didn't know about Candy's career choice, however, there were a few guests who were oblivious to her recent whereabouts. Those along with Aunt Elroy, whose face didn't show any emotions, sat slightly surprised. The rest began clapping energetically and applauded her cheerfully.

"Candy, congratulations!" Annie smiled brightly to her friend over the table. "What fantastic news!"

"I totally agree with Annie!" Patty joined in, a smile similar to Annie's also adorning her face. "I knew it; I knew you will make it through easily!"

"Oh, I'm so, so proud of you, my little girl!" Miss Pony exclaimed, clasping her hands into a tight fist over her heart. A second later she lifted one hand and wagged her finger, she scolded Candy facetiously, "But how could you not share such wonderful news earlier?"

Then Annie's parents joined in and when Monty added a few words of enthusiastic praise, Candy couldn't contain herself and blushed. "Please, don't make a big deal out of it," she pleaded. "It was just an exam, not a royal nomination for a viscountess!"

"Oh, don't be so modest, my dear," Albert retorted with his usual half a smile of smugness playing on his lips, "First of all; it wasn't _an _exam but series of exams. Secondly; they were all difficult. How difficult, I can only tell from what you have told me after. They asked you many different questions to almost every topic from your books! And I remember them quite well after our lectures so don't tell me that it was piece of cake…"

"If you know her books so well…" Archie cut in with a thin, female voice he'd always used to tease people, "…why don't _you _become a doctor then?"

"Not a bad idea, Archie, I must say, not bad at all…" Albert admitted, muffling a chuckle. "But I'm afraid my day wouldn't have enough hours in it for two jobs. Besides, I think two medics in one family would be a little too much."

No one seemed to notice the hidden meaning of his words; everyone was too excited by the news. For the next few minutes there was fuss at the table as everyone started discreetly asking each other about the intriguing career.

"What actually is this… anaesthesia? Melissa finally asked aloud. "I never heard of it."

This question, once again, diverted everyone's attention to Candy. "This is because not many people are interested in it, Melly," she replied, "but since you are asking, you should know that the history of anaesthesia goes all the way to 4200BC! Obviously, they were using different methods than us nowadays but the target remains the same: to block the patient's sensation and allow him to undergo surgery without pain."

"But aren't doctors supposed to take care of that?" Connor added. "Why nurses?"

"Nurses Anaesthetists existed and actively helped during Civil War," Candy retorted with smile, "but it isn't information you would find in a regular history book. But answering your question – it simply saves the surgeon's time and energy if he can leave the responsibility to someone else. He can focus on the surgery itself."

"So…" Malcolm joined with a wide smile, "we have the first woman in the family who is doing a proper career. Here is to self-sufficient women!" he shouted out, rising his champagne flute. "Cheers to Candy, the Nurse Anaesthetist!"

"Cheers to Candy!" repeated everyone in unison.

For a moment, the guests were busy clanging each other's glasses and exchanging funny comments about the applauded heroine. At the same time, the heroine sat on her chair with her eyes closed, absorbed in a totally different sort of thought. Nobody could see underneath the table as the table cover was very long but if they did, they would have seen two hands, male and female, joined under the table in a tender grasp. This was it, it was the Moment, it was time, she knew this. _Odd,_ she thought, fruitlessly trying to calm her furiously beating heart, _we have been engaged for three months now and I'm used to the thought of announcing it to the world yet it seems so special that I can barely breathe…!_

She opened her eyelids and sank her gaze in the pair of beloved blue eyes. She nodded, this was barely noticeable by the others. After a few seconds he turned away, let go of her hand, took his tea spoon and once again clanged against his glass.

"My dears…!" he announced loudly. "My dears, I hope you have left yourself some space for some more champagne?"

The guests' chatter progressively calmed down and everybody turned towards the host once more. Some faces expressed a surprise that there was yet one more toast to fulfil, some – puzzlement, some – just patient expectancy.

Albert stood up. "There is one more, and I think the most important, reason we have invited you all here for."

He stopped and reached out his hand to Candy and she gave him hers, this time officially, without hiding. He gently pulled her up from the chair and when she stood at his side, he straightened up and proudly looked at everyone gathered at the table. "My friends, we would like to make it official that we are engaged!" he announced simply.

They would have been sorely disappointed had they expected a loud jubilation straight away; the silence that fell after he said those words was indescribable. It was a silence so absolute that one could literally hear the crickets chirping away in the garden. But disappointed they were not; in fact they had been prepared for most of the guests to be shocked. Candy and Albert stood there with smiles on their lips.

The first one to break the silence was Melissa. "Engaged?" she repeated blankly. "How is that possible? I didn't know that you two were even…" she stammered and blushed, as if suddenly petrified by her inappropriate behavior, but finally finished, "…together!"

"It happened just like that, Melly," Albert replied teasingly. "I simply asked her to marry me..."

"…and I happily agreed." Candy finished his sentence, smiling with delight. As the silence continued, she sensed that it was her moment to say what she had wanted to say for the entire evening. She felt herself blushing again. But unlike her birthday speech she wasn't blushing from embarrassment. It was just a result of excitement and pride she had in her heart. It wouldn't be just a speech for the guests; for her, it was also a little present for Albert. He knew how she felt about him and that had always seemed to be enough for him, but standing in front of others today and officially pronouncing her feelings, well, that was a different thing. "And do you know why?" she asked, sweeping her gaze from person to person. "Some of you have known him for some time now, some of you even longer and some of you even from his birth… I myself have known him since I was six… and yet, one day, I discovered I didn't know him at all! I thank God every day for opening my eyes and giving me a second chance to really get to know him, because this man, this wonderful man is the best thing that has happened in my life! I wish I could tell you how happy and how proud that I am that he chose me – but I can't find the words that would give it justice. I wish I could really tell you how amazing, how incredibly fascinating and intriguing he really is," she confessed, for a moment deliberately looking straight into Melissa's eyes, which set of the girl into a heavy blush, "– but I can't find the right words to describe it properly and precisely. To me – he is beyond words! But I can tell you this: he is the strong wind beneath my wings when I weaken; the wind that helps me fly free and high and never let's me fall. He is both my most exciting adventure and my safe harbor all at the same time. Don't ask me to explain that paradox, because again, I can't. What I can tell you now is this: _h__e _is the man I love with all my heart and soul. _He _is the one I want to share my life with. I want to be at his side as he is always by mine and to simply do everything to make him happy!"

Finishing the last sentence, she turned away from the stunned guests and faced her fiancée. Albert stood with his gaze darkened from emotions, silent but for the tick beside his jaw, the sign usually appearing whenever he was truly moved. She smiled to him with love. His lips moved in closer for a noiseless whisper, _"Thank you,"_ and then he gave her one of his wonderfully warm smiles she would happily die for. Unexpectedly, as if he couldn't contain himself, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her towards him and placed a short but emotional kiss on her lips.

"When?" They heard this question coming from their right.

They turned; Archie sat and looked at them, awestruck. The same expression could be seen on everybody else's faces. Even Connor pretended to be surprised and the only two people that remained calm were Aunt Elroy and George. Aunt Elroy knew of this before so it wasn't a surprise for her at all and George…

Candy smiled to herself. He knew too. George somehow always knew about everything that went on in this house, even if it was kept as a deep secret. He never said anything, but he knew.

"When did you get engaged?" Archie repeated.

"Three months ago," Candy replied.

Just three words. Just three words and it was enough; these three words happened to be those that unlocked people's emotions. "And you didn't say anything?" Annie burst out suddenly. "What kind of a friend are you? Keeping such news a secret for so long! How could you?"

"Don't be mad, Annie," Albert winked apologetically to his nephew's wife. "We wanted to surprise you all..."

"And you did!" Monty interrupted and raised his glass. "Dear God, I can't remember when was the last time I received such good news! Congratulations, my boy!" he exclaimed jovially, honestly happy for them. "To both of you!"

The others quickly followed suit.

"That is indeed wonderful news…" Sister Maria beamed through her tears. "I thought I won't be ever able to see your wedding!"

"You just need to be a little bit more patient, Sister Maria," Candy chirped, "…and wait for about two months…"

"What?" this time Archie almost jumped out of his seat. "You want to get married in _two months_?"

"Yes, Archie, in two months," Albert confirmed, slightly amused. "Shouldn't be any problem with that, we want to get married with only the closest of family and friends as witnesses of this day…"

"NO!"

Everyone turned in shock towards the voice. Madame Elroy stood at her side of the table with a very angry face.

"I will not allow it!"

Most of the guests literally froze, not wanting to get in the way of a clearly rising family conflict. But the tension was perceptible to everyone.

"Aunt Elroy, I thought we had already spoken about this matter…" Albert noted calmly.

"Be quiet!" Madame Elroy cut him off, smashing her palm flat on the table. "Maybe you are the head of the family but I am its senior and as such I still have something to say! And I, Rebecca Elroy won't allow this wedding to happen… almost in secret!"

Nobody had a chance to say even a word because as soon as she drew a long breath, she continued passionately, "I have no idea how I am going to achieve this. Organizing everything in such a short time is complete madness…" she gasped for more air, "…but you are the only Andrew and I'm going to make sure you will have wedding worthy of this name!"

O O O

**Author's notes:**

1. So, no hotness whatsoever in this one… Some of you will chew me to death for that, I know… ;P

2. Chapter "SURPRISES part 3" is coming as soon as my dear beta-ed finishes his job ;)

**Footnotes:**

*36* **Gooseberries** - Now known as 'the Kiwi fruit'. The name was changed in the 1950s when it was imported to America from New Zealand. There were very few specialist growers in the USA in the 1920s.


	20. SURPRISES part 3

**CHAPTER TWENTY: ****SURPRISES (part 3)**

**7th of May 1923, Chicago  
**

The party continued. The only one difference though was that once dinner was officially over, everyone moved to the parlour, like they had previously planned. This happened soon after Madame Elroy' little shocking explosion of emotion. Maybe feeling that by her inappropriate outburst, she had made the entire situation a little awkward for the moment and she had hurried to raise her glass for the first toast to the couple. This single toast, even though thoroughly lacking in cordiality, was the sign of her acceptance after all, and everyone breathed out quietly their own sighs of relief. One by one, all the guests had followed with their own toasts and the temporary tension had gradually evaporated. Soon, good moods were set back into place as if nothing untoward during the dinner had happened at all.

After a series of toasts and finishing off the 'triple occasion cake', as the couple facetiously called it, Albert proposed for everyone to move to the parlour, which was received with great willingness. It was another good move. Due to having their places assigned at the table, one couldn't talk freely about any subject with just anybody. In the parlour, however, there were no established rules about seating and everyone could sit themselves wherever they wished to, move around or simply to stand if they fancied. Anyone could talk to anybody they wished to, whether it was just common chatter or private, deep seated discussions.

Unlike earlier that evening in the hall, the guests didn't divide themselves into two groups comprising of two different generations. It would have been a very natural thing to do but nothing like this happened. People gathered in small groups regardless of age, it simply depended only one's personal liking and the desire to join in in idle chit chat or discussions on the many various subjects being held at any time by any particular group. Simple put, everyone mingled with anyone.

Two people were missing from this company though. The first one to leave was little Cecilia. Even though bravely defending her age of ten, which to her understanding, was considered more than old enough to be allowed to stay up until late. As well as insisting on proving her toughness, eventually though, she had to give up. But what she gave into wasn't her parents' wishes to send her to bed; she had given into her own and very natural need for sleep. And fall asleep she did; even before the clock on the mansion tower struck its bell for the ninth time, her little body became limp from the overwhelming tiredness and softly fell into her father's waiting arms. This was received with everyone's soft and fond smiles. In a matter of minutes, she was carried upstairs and into one of the spare bedrooms that had already been prepared for the guests and once there, tucked straight into bed.

The other person who was missing was Aunt Elroy. Contrary to what little Cecilia had done, she didn't hesitate to use her tiredness as an excuse. Adding sparsely that her high pressure required a lot of rest, she had retired to her bedroom. Her departure brought along with it a different atmosphere, a more informal atmosphere. The conversations now being held within the walls of the parlour became much more lively and unrestrained. They could be heard even in the garden, although only as a loud murmur.

Just before ten, the glass door that separated the parlour from the terrace opened just for a split second and a single female silhouette slipped outside. She did it so discreetly that no one inside had noticed her exit. For somebody who might have been in the garden at that precise moment, the only noticeable detail would have been the sudden change in the volume of the sounds emanating from inside; it increased in loudness and what had so far sounded only like a cacophony of cheerful mumblings, now became clear fragments of lively chatter and bursts of joyous, friendly laughter. As suddenly as the wave of sound burst into the darkness of the garden, it was quickly cut off. It had taken not even two seconds before the door was closed again, bringing the audible volume down to its previous levels.

The lights permeating through the large windows illuminated almost the entire terrace but the female silhouette slipped so quickly along its wall, that for someone who would be by chance watching her, it would have been impossible to recognize her face. Seconds later, as soon as she passed the line of the parlour's windows and reached the end of the terrace, the part where the wall had no windows whatsoever, her silhouette merged with the dark grey shadows. Only by the sound of the quick steps made by her high heels, one could guess that she sidled along the balustrade which was decorated by various plants. And indeed, when she appeared again, she was next to the huge marble column at the end. This spot wasn't as dark as near the wall, but it wasn't very bright either, for the moon was very dim. But this spot, somehow secluded and partially hidden from everyone's view, seemed to temporarily suit the young woman's current need; she stopped by the column and pressed her forehead against it. She sighed quietly, as if the cold smooth surface of the marble brought her a little relief, stood still for a moment and then inhaled rapidly. It broke the silence of the night but in an altogether different way than the joyous laughter moments before. It was a sharp, shaky gasp for air, cut short as the woman quickly covered her mouth with her palm. However, even though more quieter now, the air kept escaping through the gaps between her fingers and it seemed as if she tried and failed in her attempt to calm herself down. Her shoulders, covered with waves of straight, sleek hair, begun to heave slightly up and down then getting stronger and stronger. A careful observer would deduce that she was now crying. And crying she was, although one would have had to be standing pretty near her to her quiet sobs.

"Patty..?"

At the unexpected voice, the young woman stiffened, and letting go of the marble column, she turned rapidly. From this movement, her straight hair twirled and danced around her face and then fell softly onto her shoulders again. She didn't say anything as she silently watched the other young woman close the glass door and began making her way towards her. As she approached, cutting across the terrace, the sharp streams of light coming from the windows illuminated her figure, revealing her chin-length raven hair, a long dress and a high pregnancy.

"I noticed that you were going outside and I thought I would join you for some fresh air too…" the newcomer continued with a smile still in her soft voice. But as soon as she was only a few feet away from her friend, the smile faded from her lips and the next words she spoke became much more serious and sounded hesitant. "Patty…" she inquired, tilting her head, "you're crying..."

As if suddenly realizing that her eyes, glimmering from yet still more unshed tears must have been impossible to miss from this close, even in the dim light, the young woman turned once more towards the marble column again. With a quick but discreet movement, she raised her hands to her face and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "It's nothing, Annie, don't worry!" she said in a light tone. "Just a belated few tears… of joy…"

But one can never make one's voice sound fully natural while one's throat has been tightened from, thus far, uninterrupted crying. Her act must have been unconvincing because the raven-haired young woman walked closer and gently placed her hand over her friend's shoulder. "Say what you want but it doesn't seem to me like tears of joy." she said softly. "If they were, you would be crying openly, in front of everyone, like all women do, not here by yourself, in secret, hidden. What happened?" she inquired. "Has anyone caused distress to you? Was it Connor?" she took a wild stab in the dark. "Candy whispered something about him being an incorrigible flirt and that she was going to scalp him alive if he dared hurt you… Was it him? If it was, I will personally…"

The brunette quickly turned to her raven-haired friend, cutting off her fervent speech. "No, Annie, nothing like that." she replied. "He was just being nice to me at dinner… He has nothing to do with this. But it's nothing really worth talking about, seriously. Go back inside; I will join you in a minute."

It was absolutely clear that she wanted to avoid talking about whatever the matter was but her friend didn't seem to notice that at all. Or maybe she did, but that didn't stop her in her tracks.

"My friend cries and she thinks I'm going to leave it at that?" Annie asked, clasping the brunette's hand. She then turned and pulled her towards the stairs. "Let's go to the garden!" she commanded and began carefully descend, supporting her protruding belly with her other hand. "I have a feeling that you shouldn't go back inside looking like this anyway."

Patty tried to protest but her attempts were fruitless. Annie, ever delicate that she was, was now showing a surprising adamant; gentle and soft but adamant nonetheless. Once down the stairs, she led them along the gravel path. When they passed the tall rose bushes, they found themselves inside a small semi-circle, created by the outer wall of the labyrinth. Just in front of the entrance to the labyrinth and set in the middle of the semi circle, stood a little, round garden fountain.

"Let's sit, shall we?" Annie suggested, pointing to the marble edge, "I feel fine in general but I can't stand for too long."

She proceeded to sit down first and Patty followed suit. Just before sitting down, Patty moved aside a glass ashtray that had some ash and a thin cigarette butt in it, no doubts left by one of the men earlier on. Or, perhaps not even so long ago; it seemed like a hint of smoke was still detectable in the air as if the cigarette was put out mere minutes ago.

For a long moment they sat there in silence; one waiting patiently for the other to start her story whilst the other, biting her lips and still sitting silent.

"Would you tell me what happened?" Annie inquired again.

Patty sighed inaudibly. Could she possibly..? There was a secret that she was harbouring so carefully, no one even suspected its existence, something that she would rather die before telling. And now, at least, one person was aware that she was hiding something... That mask of cheerfulness she had been wearing for the past few hours, from when she arrived, had cracks and she knew that it wouldn't take a genius to work out that the picture of her happy self that she was trying to portray to everybody wasn't as genuine as she wanted them to believe. She wondered for a second why she had actually acted this way in front of two of her best friends. Friendship equals honesty; this was what they promised each other once, a long time ago. But she couldn't help it; time and space does sometimes create a distance between even the closest of people and this was what involuntarily happened to them. It was somehow her fault though; she was the one who left her life in Chicago and didn't make enough of an effort to maintain proper contact. But if she had been feeling a little guilty about not being fully honest, her sense of guilt soon lessened. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who wasn't being honest.

But could she afford to be honest now? No, she decided that she just couldn't. Knowing what she knew, she ascertained to herself that her secret best stayed a secret and shouldn't ever be revealed. Her secret was one of those she would have to carry all by herself, no matter what the cost.

"This isn't the best idea, Annie…" she opposed quietly. "You are expecting a baby and you shouldn't get yourself worried…"

Annie wouldn't take this reasoning for her to leave her friend. "I would be more worried if you didn't tell me what happened. Don't worry about my pregnancy, I feel great." she said. "Tell me, why are you so sad on our friend's engagement party? Aren't you happy for them?"

"But of course I am…" Patty tried to reassure her, albeit with a weak voice.

"Why then?" Annie pressed. "Before dinner you were like a skylark… If I didn't know you I would have said that it was about some affairs of the heart. You know," she shrugged, "only men are capable of bringing even the toughest of women to tears…"

Even though it was only Annie's blind guess, she had hit home and Patty felt a panic beginning to rise within. Her body tensed involuntarily and she didn't manage to hide that completely. And Annie noticed. "So…" she inquired softly, carefully, "I was right? This is about a man, Patty?"

_Annie, why did you have to find me? _Patty thought with sadness and at the same time, bitterly angry with herself for not hiding it better. She knew now that she should have gone straight into the garden rather than loitering on the terrace where everyone could come out at any given moment. And that's exactly what has happened. She felt rather uncomfortable with the thought of anybody discovering her, even if it was one of her best friends. Actually, _that_ was making things even worse. _I could have hidden that, I'm good with hiding my feelings but telling a fake story is a completely different thing… I'm not good with lying… I never was… And I don't want to be…_

Deep down she knew that it was better to tell at least part of the truth rather than dive into the lie and end up burying herself in the endless labyrinth of sticky, tricky lies forever. "Yes, it is." she finally admitted, reluctantly. "I just didn't want to bother anyone with my silly problems."

"Patty…" Annie protested, shaking her head disbelievingly, "I always take the affairs of the heart seriously, especially if they regard my friends. So, I would like to know who the bad guy in your life is who has played with your feelings. Is it some New Yorker? Or, some guy from Florida?"

Patty opened her eyes wide in genuine surprise. "Why ever would you think that somebody played with my feelings?" she replied. "Or, that he was a bad guy?"

"Aren't usually the bad guys that go around hurting women's feelings?" Annie tried to make a joke with a faint smile. A second later she got totally serious again and added, "But I guess this isn't the case? Of course; you are way too smart to let yourself fall in love with some Casanova…"

Patty only shook her head. "No, Annie, that isn't the case…" she repeated after her friend. "He is one of those rare good ones. He is wonderful and he wouldn't play with anybody's feelings... the very least, mine… He doesn't even know what I feel for him, towards him."

It was now Annie's turn to open her eyes wider. "So, the mysterious man who stole your heart doesn't even know? You didn't even try to tell him? Why?" she insisted and Patty's heart clenched tightly again. "I think you should at least give him a hint, if you are too shy to tell him openly. Maybe it's not too late?" she added encouragingly, "Maybe he likes you too and you don't even know it?"

"No." Patty replied sharply but quietly. They had been both speaking quietly so far, as if their instincts had told them not to draw attention to themselves from anybody from the inside. _Why, Annie, why did you have to find me? _Her friend's words were reviving her own, now pointless desire of revealing the truth about the one she loved so dearly. Now she had to fight it off once again and this time, even fiercer. She shook her head, as if she was trying to physically get rid of this thought. "He is in love with another woman and she loves him too." she explained concisely. "And I wish happiness to them both."

"You wish _both of them_ happiness?" Annie asked protractedly, accentuating each word. "Does that mean they both are your friends?"

"They are. I would never get between them. Not that I would even be able to."

Again, silence fell between the two. Both of them immersed in their own thoughts; one overflowed with care for a friend and wanting to know the truth; the other desperately wanting exactly the opposite thing – hide it.

"Patty…" Annie said after a while, "it is indeed not the best moment for such a conversation… You know, the party is still going on and we should get back in there…" she nodded towards the mansion. "But if you would like to… maybe we can meet again in a couple days time… I'm sure Candy can get the afternoon off and we can both go over to her place… or here, sit in the solarium and…"

Again, a panic swept over Patty like a huge wave about to crash down on her and before she could stop herself, she blurted it out, waving her hands frantically in front of her. "No, no, not Candy!" she cried out impetuously. It was after these words, she realized how ridiculously she had betrayed herself. Her mind was now screaming to come up with some possible explanation for her fierceness and a way of fixing her wrong step. "I mean…" she continued, blushing heavily both from embarrassment and fear, "I don't see the point of talking about a lost cause. I will just have to get on with it. Besides, I don't want to bother her unnecessarily, she is so happy now…"

"The party lasts only for tonight and as soon as it's over she will get back to her everyday life." Annie cut in gently. "And in this life, we are _both_ your friends! I'm sure she would prefer knowing what is going on with you… if you'd only feel like you want to tell us."

Patty sighed, this time a little louder. She felt herself being trapped at the junction; this was something that she knew she shouldn't tell; something that should stay a secret for everyone else's sake and yet, it seems like insisting openly on keeping this secret would have probably weakened their already weakened friendship.

_Oh Annie, Annie, why did you have to find me? _Patty cried out in her head again. _Do __you really have to ask all these questions and put me in a corner? My broken heart breaks even more at just the mere thought that I could lose your friendship too… Because I know this is something that would get between us…_

Deep down Patty knew it could have been much worse. It could have been Candy who found her and it would have been a situation with no escape whatsoever. She also knew that, no matter how she wanted to avoid being pitied by anyone, she should tell Annie the truth, at least part of it. If she insisted on keeping silent, Annie, worried, would sooner or later seek Candy's advice and even perhaps try to come up with a plan together to try and console her in her grieving. Because she would definitely do that, Patty had no doubts, she knew Annie enough to be almost one hundred percent certain of this happening. And it was something she couldn't afford taking a risk over. Candy would no doubt want to hear the story too and this was that sort of the story she should never get to hear, especially now. And she herself wasn't sure if she could bring herself to lie to her friend right to her face. And the only way to avoid this eventuality seemed to be in confessing to Annie and to have a deep faith that her friend was strong enough to carry her secret with her without sharing it with anybody else.

"Annie," she said finally, in a pleading tone, "if I tell you something, would you promise me not to tell Candy?"

Disbelief emanated from Annie's eyes. "Why?" she inquired. "You… don't trust her?"

"It's not that." Patty replied quietly. Inhaling deeply, she added, "I just can't tell her because she knows him too."

"And since when did Candy have friends in Florida?" Annie exclaimed impulsively, without thinking. "Or in New York for that matter? There's only one person she knows in New York and it can't possibly be _him, _can it?"

Patty sadly shook her head. The thought of being in love with the man Annie just mentioned nearly brought a smile on her so far, serious face. Not that she had anything against Terry. She liked him as a friend, and after seeing his performance on stage a few times during her stay in New York, she could definitely say that she respected and admired him as an actor too; but he just wasn't in her type as a man.

But she didn't have much time to wonder about this because Annie's facial expression changed suddenly. Like an epiphany, understanding now reflected in her eyes and Patty knew that Annie was walking step by giant step towards the truth. She hasn't realized it yet but she'd probably have needed one more hint for all the pieces of the puzzle to fit into place.

"How silly of me." Annie stated. "We hadn't seen each other for so long, and because just before you left Chicago, everything seemed fine with you, I automatically assumed that you must have met this mysterious man when you were away. But you never said that he was from New York or Florida... He's from here isn't he? These friends of yours, they are both from here, from Chicago, aren't they?"

Again, Patty didn't speak. She only nodded silently in agreement.

Annie looked at her friend with some concern. Now she understood, at least that's what she thought. As Patty was away for more than a year, she indeed assumed that she must have met this guy either in New York or in Florida. That would have been the most plausible scenario. However, knowing that it had been otherwise, she worked out that it must have happened while she was still living in Chicago. So, she concluded, this wasn't a fresh case. She also thought that Patty's unrequited love must have been at the very least, one of the reasons behind her leave, and coming back to Chicago probably brought the memories rushing back.

But one thing still bothered her. Why would Patty avoid telling Candy about this guy, using the fact that it was one of her friends as an explanation? Entrusted with someone's secret, Candy would rather cut her tongue out than divulge it. Even if this matter regarded one of her friends, she would have never talked to him about it nor would she have changed her attitude towards this man, whoever he was.

She decided to remind Patty about this but her friend's reaction surprised her; as she placed her hand on her back, trying to embrace her, Patty stood up and walked away a few feet, stopping next to the tall rose bushes. "Annie, you don't understand…" Patty's slight trembling voice came to her ears. "Believe me when I say that it would have affected her personally. She wouldn't have been able to stay indifferent about it if she found out, no matter how much she would have tried. This person is too close to her… right now."

On hearing this, Annie mused again for a moment. The way Patty spoke the last few words stirred something in her mind. And before she knew it, she again began speculating upon this mysterious man's identity. Patty spoke of him as if he was someone really important in Candy's life, but as far as she knew, there were only a few people Candy allowed to get really close to her. She befriended many people in Chicago and that included males, Annie wondered, frowning – but close friends? Friends they had in common…? The number of people that could possibly belong to this circle was very tight knit…

And then, for some reason or another, her thoughts shifted direction and she began wondering when exactly it was that Patty's behaviour changed. When they met she was indeed like a skylark and it was almost certain that at some point in the evening, something must have happened. She was now trying to recall the events of the past few hours. Because they weren't seated at the table next to each other, she couldn't see her friend all the time but she had caught a few glimpses here and there, once in a while. And now these images were flashing through her mind like a mutoscope. Patty, joyous when they arrived… Patty, chatting lively with Connor and Melissa... Patty, cheerfully raising a birthday toast with everybody… Patty, congratulating Candy for passing the exam... Patty, shocked at the time of the announcement, like everyone… Patty, smiling but quiet on the sofa in the parlour... and now, crying…

_Could it be that the view of a happy couple be upsetting enough to make someone cry?_ She asked herself all of a sudden. _Yes, it could,_ a voice within her answered immediately. She vaguely remembered herself from the past, from the time when her own feelings for Archie were unrequited. Yes, it was possible; unhappily in love, one could indeed get upset by witnessing others' harmony, even if they were complete strangers. Such view represented something one's heart didn't have access to and even though it is hard to accept it, such feelings could easily be awoken even by watching a pair of close friends… That sometimes made it even worse… It's always easier to turn away from strangers but one sees one's friends much more often and has to bear witness as they…

Annie ceased her wondering abruptly in the middle of her thoughts. Then it clicked as another thought hit her suddenly; a thought so absurd, that if the situation wasn't so inappropriate for laughing, she would have done so; she would have laughed at her own silliness. She shook her head, trying to get rid off the ridiculous conclusion but the thought had come to stay and it was now stubbornly running around in her head. And the longer she thought about it, her inner need at laughing at herself was decreasing. _It fits,_ she thought, shocked, feeling as the blood gradually drained from her face. _It's absurd but it really fits. She didn't say Candy knows __**both of her friends**__, _it had occurred to her. _She said that Candy knows __**him; **__a male friend that belongs to this narrow circle of their common, very close friends… And__** he**__ does belong… He __**is**__ very close to Candy… literally. _She added as she looked towards the glass door leading to the lighted parlour. She saw what Patty, who had been facing the mansion for the last couple of minutes, must have been looking at; the silhouettes of two blond people, standing next to each other, perfectly visible through one of the windows. The tenderness in which the man was embracing his companion with and the trust with which the woman responded to this short, soft embrace were all visible, even from this far.

_Patty's joy… _Annie recalled suddenly, stiffening. _Her joy when we had arrived at the mansion, the quick glances she spared him and which I was taking as being natural, so typical for her… and the change in her behaviour after the announcement… No, that's impossible; it can't be…! _Annie cried out in her mind, praying for this to be her rich, fancy and absurd imagination. "Patty…" she spoke finally with an uncertainty in a quivering voice, "Patty… you are… you are not talking about _them two_, are you?"

Her friend slowly turned back towards her, looked calmly in her eyes and did exactly the opposite of what she was hoping she wouldn't; she nodded.

"Oh God, Patty…" Annie gasped as she shot an involuntarily look towards the window again. "_HIM_?" she accentuated meaningfully, "_HE_ is the one you are in love with?"

"Yes."

This short reply left behind a moment of heavy silence. Both friends stared at each other intensively; the gaze of one of them reflected disbelief, shock, sadness and sympathy – the other's showed sadness… and a weird serene calmness. Understanding less and less with every passing second, Annie watched her friend's face. She expected more tears but instead, Patty's eyes were dry and stared firmly straight back at her. Under this calm, strangely unwavering gaze, she began to feel the unpleasant pangs of guilty conscience. How could she not even notice what was going on with Patty in the past? Had she been so focused on her own life and Candy's problems that she had became blind towards her other best friend's feelings? Patty was always the most secretive of all of them but as her friend, she should have noticed, she shouted at herself. She should have and she didn't, throughout all this time, she didn't notice. It occurred to her that this 'time' she was thinking of must have been quite a long period, definitely way before Patty had left Chicago. She was even more certain that this couldn't have been a fresh case.

"Patty…" she inquired warily, "forgive me if I'm being too inquisitive now but I'm just trying to understand… I mean, feelings like these just can't simply be born and developed overnight… How long has this been going on?"

Upon hearing_ the_ question, Patty winced noticeably. Although she wasn't utterly surprised; she had actually half expected this question to pop up at some point. She mused for a moment. How long has it been going on? She had to go way back in the past to point out the precise moment when her attitude towards him had started to change… But she could still remember it. It was in the year of Terry's wedding, the moment when she had spotted Albert, sitting all by himself and looking lonely at that dodgy bar, drinking as if he was trying to drown out all the feelings that drove him at that time. And she had instinctively guessed back then, she knew exactly what these feelings were. It was the sorrow of his unrequited love for Candy and the pain of consoling her in her grief after being separated with the man she loved so dearly. It was his own, never outspoken jealously towards this man, for still owning Candy's heart, even though he had given it all up some time ago. It was, finally, a bitterness born from the certainty that he was Candy's friend and consolation and he will be never more than just that…

Yes, she could say that this was the moment everything had changed for her. This was the moment she had noticed a man in him, the man truly worthy of dreaming of, this was the moment in which her own heart wanted nothing more than to console him and to make him feel better. This was the moment she began falling for him deeper and deeper, this was the point when her hopeless dreams had started. And ever since that moment, no man – and she had met many on her way – would compare to him. But it wasn't something she could share with anyone, even if it was one of her best friends, for the fear of breaking down emotionally into pieces. Especially not now.

"A while…" she replied finally, sparsely. "About three years, maybe longer, I'm not sure."

"And you had never thought of telling him?"

"What for?" Patty shrugged. "It wouldn't have changed anything if he knew anyway. He was already in love with Candy back then. I knew back then that nothing would ever change his feelings and now I'm even more certain. Even his trip didn't change anything. Falling in love with him was a mistake for which I knew I would most certainly pay for, but you know how it is… The heart never listens to the voice of reason and he is, at the end of the day, a man easy to fall in love with. It was like I was begging for my heart to be broken, right from the beginning but I did it anyway…"

"Patty, I'm so sorry…" the tears glistened in Annie's eyes. "If only I had known... Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"Why didn't _you_ tell me anything?" Patty snapped back immediately but in calm voice. "You knew that they were together, didn't you?" she more stated than asked. Not waiting for Annie's reply she continued in earnest, only now, with a slight sour tone to her voice, "I saw your face when you were congratulating them. You and Archie were surprised, but not in the way the rest of the guests were."

"I knew about them, yes," Annie admitted slowly, as if reluctantly, "although not from the beginning."

"And when was 'the beginning'?" Patty inquired. "When he came back from Africa?"

"I'm not certain." Annie replied, turning her head away and looked down at a potted plant not too far from her feet. "It took them a while to even touch upon the subject. They refrained from seeing each other for more than a month, sulking at each other like a pair of stubborn, selfish kids and finally, I just couldn't take it anymore. I forced them to talk to each other."

"You did what?" Patty asked with a blank, dispassionate voice.

"I had to, Patty, I just had to, trust me. If you think you had seen Candy in despair right after he had left, you would have changed your mind if you saw her later, after a few months." Annie explained quietly, but lively, with an absolute certainty in her voice. "You went to New York in early autumn and you couldn't see what was happening to her. But I did and I swear to you that I have never seen her so broken. She couldn't understand that at first but she did finally realize that losing Albert was even worst for her than breaking up with Terry. That alone was bad enough but losing Albert… and yet, even if she already knew it, she couldn't bring herself to take the first step… I did what I thought was best for them; I convinced them to talk to each other. And I think it is really good between them now. Once again he helped her get back into shape. It did take her some time but they seem to be very close now."

"They have _always_ been close." Patty corrected her friend firmly. "Don't feel sorry for me, Annie; you did the right thing when you pushed them towards each other." she added. "The way everything is right now… this is how things should be. They should have always been this way from the start and they would have been sooner, had she not been so blind before."

Annie was about to reply but firmly closed her mouth before she spoke a word. She subconsciously knew that there was nothing she could say right now to make Patty feel better. Also, even though her friend didn't accuse her directly, in her calm voice, she had sensed a hint of bitterness and she somehow knew that Patty felt upset about being left aside. At least with this situation, this she could try to fix. "Patty…" she said finally, choosing her words carefully, "I'm sorry you found out about it this way... Whatever happened between them last summer, they kept it a secret for quite a long time; Candy confessed to me openly only at the New Year's Eve party. We talked a lot about you back then," she added, "and Candy wanted to tell you too, don't think it had been otherwise. It's just…" she hesitated for a second, "you weren't here and she didn't want to do that over a letter. She wanted to surprise you with the news in person."

Patty nodded. "And surprise me she did." she admitted. "I only wish I knew earlier, I wouldn't have deluded myself for such a long time. But better late than never I suppose…" she hung her voice for a moment. "I know it is right that they should be together. I doubt if the two us would have ever made such a great couple. But Annie…" to the contrary of her so far calm behaviour, Patty suddenly looked at her friend with a burning gaze, "Never, ever tell them about what I have told you today! You heard them earlier on; all of the guests gathered here today have already been unofficially invited to their wedding. And I will be there! This is the day in my friends' life I promise won't miss. But that's why they can never know! Especially Candy, she shouldn't even have the slightest suspicion!" she punctuated. "She once noticed my affection for him but I managed to convince her that it was only platonic love. If she knew, it would undo her happiness and I will not let that happen. Swear to me that you won't tell them, Annie!"

"I swear." Annie submissively made her promise. "But what about you?" she inquired gently, "What are _you_ going to do?"

Patty gave her friend a smile, "I love them _both_ and the last thing I need is their sympathy. It would have changed our friendship forever and I don't want that; I can't afford to lose any of them. It was entirely my mistake to allow myself to fall for him. Anyway, he was never more than a man from a dream, just something beautiful you can hang onto when everything around you disappoints you, that's all. But if it was easy to dream of him when he was single, now it's all different, isn't it? I can't dream of my best friend's husband to be, can I?" she added in a lighter tone. "I will get over it soon, don't worry. I'm not going to let the dream have a bad influence on our friendship."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Patty nodded firmly. "Now, please do me a favour, Annie and go back inside before Archie starts looking for you. I will stay here a little bit longer and I will join you later. If anybody asks, tell them that I just wanted some fresh air. And don't worry, I will be fine."

"Are you sure?" Annie repeated.

"I am. I just need some more time to finally say goodbye to my silly dream and recompose myself, but for that, I need to be alone for a while. Now, go, please!"

From the shadows of the rose bushes Patty watched her friend reluctantly stand up and leave the garden. Annie carefully walked up the stairs, holding onto the railing and once on the terrace, she turned towards her as if she wanted to once again make sure that she was fine. Patty held her gaze with her head held high up. But as soon as the glass door closed, her straightened shoulders instantly dropped and with her head bowed. Without a second of hesitation, she turned away from the mansion, circled the fountain and walked deeper inside the garden. She knew she was supposed to go back in and rejoin the party, but couldn't bring herself to do that just yet. Because even though the tears on her face had dried some time ago, it didn't mean they dried inside of her. She still felt like she needed more...but not here...! She couldn't afford to be discovered by somebody else.

She didn't really pay any attention to where she was going. Finally free from Annie's company, she could let her thoughts wonder off again. And indeed; as she subconsciously meandered down the path along the labyrinth, once again, she wondered around aimlessly, her mind preoccupied with all that has happened earlier on this evening. Since Albert had taken Candy's hand and announced the news, she felt like she had been hit by a sledgehammer straight to the heart. She had been having a weird feeling through the entire evening and something had stricken her already when Albert mentioned the lessons with Candy. She was aware of her friend's old aversion to being in Madame Elroy's presence and presumed that the said meetings must have taken place in Candy's apartment. They must have spent a lot of time together… and he was talking about these meetings with such openness and obviousness, one can only describe the meetings with his beloved… And indeed, a few minutes later she had received the heartbreaking proof of her suspicions…

How it hurt, oh, how it hurt! And how she wished she knew about all of this earlier! Maybe it wouldn't spare her from all the pain but it would have definitely spared her from so many months of unnecessary, stupid, futile hopes! Annie couldn't possibly understand the real meaning of her words when she said it; she simply didn't know about a certain encounter, months back, in September... It was a totally coincidental meeting outside the New York's Grand Central Terminal. Albert was on his business trip, on the way to Washington, she was walking her cousin, Marge, to the station. She still remembered the surprise she felt when someone called her name and the pleasant shock she got when she turned and recognized who the person was... She could still recall the feeling of pleasure when she saw his beautiful, tropical suntan and glowing gaze, she still remembered the rush of joy at the spontaneity he had greeted her with... This and the fact that he hadn't mentioned Candy's name even once, reawakened her silly hope that maybe time had finally cured his heart and that she would finally have a chance, if she could only gain enough courage to try… and it was only until now did she realize how big a fool she had been. There were no missing pieces of a puzzle; she was just looking at the picture from the wrong perspective. There was nothing unique about the way he had greeted her back then, in New York; that's the way he had always greeted her so warmly. His glowing gaze also had a reason but it was only now she understood this reason. He hadn't mentioned Candy's name not only because their meeting on the railway station was so brief; he did it also because for some reason, they both, him and Candy, decided to keep their relationship a secret, even from their best friends.

_You are such an idiot, O'Brien... _She scolded herself. _Deep down you have always known that there was a big chance of this happening when you were convincing Candy to open her eyes and see what she had had for so many years… And so she did… You yourself opened and cleared the way to her heart for him… How could you be as naïve as to think that you might have ever stood a chance? How could you be so stupid as to allow yourself to fall for him? Now… now best thing for you to do is for you to just snap yourself out of this futile path… the sooner, the better for you… You just have to… You idiot, naïve, silly idiot…!_

As the ground under her feet gave way slightly, Patty stopped, surprised. So lost in her gloomy thoughts that she was, she didn't notice that the path led her towards the lake. She was now standing on the narrow, sandy beach. She looked down. Due to the dim moonlight, the sand beneath her feet was dark but she knew how light its colour really was. At the end of the day, she knew this beach so well… Long ago, so long ago in fact, that it seemed as if it was in a previous life, she had come here with Stear. It was here they sat down, enjoying each other's company and the feelings of being made and destined for each other; the feelings nobody else at that time could awake… It was here that he told her of his plans; entering university to study engineering. And he would have if not for his next, reckless decision of joining the army… It was here she promised him that she will overcome her fear of water and learn how to swim. And learn she did. Florida offered the perfect conditions for learning and before she knew, she was swimming like a fish… If only Stear could somehow know that she had fulfilled her promise she had made to him… She smiled with nostalgia at this thought.

She knew this beach so well… How many times did she come here with Candy while her friend still lived in the mansion! How many hours they had spent here, chatting and sharing their secrets, of serious and of silly little problems…! It seemed as if their laughter still echoed within the trees of the little coppice separating the lake from the garden…

Patty shook her head, swallowing with difficulty. No matter how she tried to occupy her mind by recalling the magical moments of the past, nothing was able to lessen her recent pain. Its source was still there, only suppressed temporarily but still there nonetheless, aching, clenching at her heart and nearly robbing her of her breath…

She looked ahead. The lake lay before her in the darkness, a thin layer of mist floated above its waters, preventing the moon from reflecting on the lake's slightly wrinkled surface. It was quite dark and this darkness corresponded perfectly with the state of her mind. But it was also so wonderfully peaceful and quiet here at the same time! No nocturnal animals broke the sweet silence of the night with their sounds, the slightest breeze of wind didn't even manage a whisper amongst the leaves on the branches. So wonderfully calm here! Oh, if she could only pour this calmness into her aching heart and soul and ease all the pain… There has been so much pain in her life, at almost every turn! If she could only make this pain disappear somehow… if she could just walk into this calm night and disappear… If only that was possible!

She closed her eyes.

Without even realizing what she was doing, she took a step forwards and towards the water's edge.

O O O


	21. NEW BEGINNINGS

_**So, here I am, back from my holiday where I was more busy than a very busy bee. I had a fantastic time and more limited access to the PC than I ha**_**_ve here, at home so thank you all, my lovelies, for your patience. Some of you have asked me if I have abandoned the story ha__l__f way _**_**through. And I say: NO WAY! Sorry again if the long periods of time between the chapters misled you - it's just a matter of time, or should I say - its lack. I will NEVER abandon this story and until I say so, rest assured that it WILL go on, no matter how long it takes for another chapter to get uploaded.**_

_**And now, without any more boring rambling: ENJOY!  
**_

**.**

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: NEW BEGINNINGS**

**7th of May 1923, Chicago**

"Miss O'Brien, please don't do anything rash."

At the sound of a deep male voice from behind, Patty literally jumped. Utterly surprised, she drew a short, sharp breath and held it in. Annie had already bumped into her but that was right outside the house, this time she was completely oblivious to another person's presence. There wasn't even supposed to be anybody here! Feeling her heart racing madly, she turned around but saw no one. For a second, she thought that she was having hallucinations or hearing voices. But a second later, a slight movement in the near darkness gained her attention and she realized with a sigh of relief that the voice didn't come from inside her head. There was indeed someone there, only he wasn't standing on the path she had came down on. The owner of the voice stood under the trees, his figure nearly invisible, hidden in the deep shadows.

"Who is there?" she inquired with the slight trembling voice.

Silence.

The dark figure silently moved forward, stepped out of the shadows and in the misty, dim moonlight she saw the black hair and the outline of the man's face.

"Mr. Johnson!" she recognized him and involuntarily exhaled with relief. A second later an unexpected feeling arose in her. It was the annoyance of being disturbed again, the second time this evening. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry, Miss O'Brien, I didn't mean to startle you." he apologized calmly.

She waited for him to continue but when the silence between them stretched for another long moment and then another, she understood that he wasn't going to give an answer to her question. Usually, she had no problem with people being exaggeratedly secretive. She had no right to blame other people for a feature she was a living definition of. But now, being as touchy as she was, she found his non answer not simply evasive as it was and easy to cope with but exceptionally annoying. He almost scared the living daylights out of her – was it so weird that she was expecting an explanation?

She didn't say a thing though.

Raised to always be polite, she couldn't bring herself to telling him of her anger at being disturbed. Anyway, it occurred to her suddenly that he might have been here well before her so she couldn't exactly and bluntly accuse him of stalking her…

"It seems I interrupted you." she said exactly the opposite thing to what she wanted to say, watching him as he was approaching the place where she stood. "But if you mind my presence, don't worry, I will just carry on along the beach."

"Not at all, Miss O'Brien." he contradicted. "It was me who came here after you so if there is someone who could mind the other's presence it would be you."

Did she hear that right? Did he just say that he came after her? He really followed her? But why? Not that she really cared but something was telling her that it was perhaps better to know…

"May I ask why you did it?" she inquired.

"I saw you heading towards the beach," he replied, "and thought that you shouldn't be alone."

_Why doesn't he mind his own business? Why does nobody mind his own business tonight?_ She thought, getting more and more annoyed with each passing second. Since he openly admitted to it, she had no more doubts that he indeed followed her and deliberately interrupted her very much desired, solitary moment. Any thoughts of calming down her anger had evaporated. She still couldn't bring herself to burst and shout out at him but she wasn't going to be very welcoming either. His aims didn't seem to be in any way romantic – she snorted inwardly at the ridiculousness of this thought – but he was here nonetheless and it was inconvenient enough on its own. She didn't want _anybody's _presence here right now.

"And why ever would you think that?" she demanded, this time more pressingly, letting some of her annoyance slip into her voice. "As far as I'm concerned, I am no child and it isn't against the law for a woman to be on her own"

For a moment, silence fell once again between them, as if the man was considering his next answer. "No," he replied finally, "but when a young lady leaves the party alone and goes for a lonely walk in the night time then there must be a reason behind it. Not necessarily a _good_ reason." he punctuated.

She didn't see that coming. It was probably by a total coincidence but his words were alarmingly close to the truth and it was enough to make her defences to shoot sky high. Within the blink of a second she had made a decision of getting rid off this man from here and the sooner that happened, the better for her. His sudden and unexpected appearance distracted her from her thoughts but she could still feel the tears threatening to flow again and she feared she wouldn't be able to hold them back for much longer. She just couldn't afford to have anybody else witness her breakdown. Annie was more than enough.

"Again, Mr. Johnson, what made you come to such a ridiculous conclusion?" she asked dryly, praying for her voice not to tremble. Driven by the need to get away from him, in slow, almost leisure steps, she stepped up back onto the grass and passed him by a few feet, she headed up and towards the slightly rising lawn aimed directly for the line of the trees on the opposite side of the path. She stopped at the second tree, leant her back up against the trunk, gazed at the dark lake again and putting all the effort she could muster into it, she pulled a mused and dreamy smile. It had never occurred to her before that smiling could be so painful. "I found myself longing for some solitude." she added in a lighter but still cool tone. "I haven't been here for a long time and I simply wanted to say 'hello' to this place and enjoy the scenery."

She hoped that he would understand what she was hinting at. She hoped that he would believe her words even if they made her look like some silly girl walking with her head high in the clouds. It didn't really matter, for as long as he retreated back to the mansion and left her alone. But as the man didn't show any signs that he understood her silent hint, she decided to be more blunt about it. "I'm fine here, you can go back to the party." she said firmly, feeling right away that it sounded more like a command rather than a suggestion.

"I'm sorry, Miss O'Brien, but I will not leave without you." he declined her, patiently. "I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something… happened to you during my absence."

Patty barely stopped herself from gritting her teeth. _What a stubborn man! _She complained inwardly. She really didn't understand why he had insisted that it was so important to keep her company. _Why doesn't he just leave me alone__, __I gave him enough polite and even not so polite hints that I don't want anybody's presence here! Even an unintelligent and not very smart person would have understood that and he isn't one of those stupid ones!_

"Why would anything happen to me here?" she questioned. "It's one of the safest places I know of!"

"It is indeed safe in here." the man confirmed quietly. "It's..." he paused for a second as if hesitating, "_you_ who shouldn't be left alone in such…" he paused again, "…a delicate situation."

"Delicate… what do you mean by 'delicate'...?" she asked and it was at this point that he approached her again. When he had first appeared, he came out of the dark shadows with the very dim moon from behind his back barely gave her enough light to recognize who he was. Now however, as he stood in front of her, on the ground free from fog and with this dim moonlight shining right on his features, she could see his face clearly. But foremost, she could see his eyes. And what she saw in them made her nearly panic. _Don't be ridiculous, O'Brien!_ She thought to herself. _Why would he feel sympathy_?

He didn't reply but kept looking straight in her eyes with all dead seriousness. And for some strange reason, she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from his. It was as if his dark eyes had locked with hers and had hypnotized her. But the longer she looked into them, the more convinced she was that what she saw was indeed sympathy.

_It's impossible, no… _She rebuffed herself again,_ why would he pity me..? No, I must be wrong... But why do his eyes look like he knew? No, no, he cannot know, it's impossible for him to know... Don't... _She begged herself, feeling the temporary, fragile dam that she had raised to hide her grief, begun to crush under his serious, understanding gaze. _Don't look at me this way... Please, don't look at me with those piercing eyes of yours because I can feel as if they were looking right into my soul… And I can't allow anybody to see me... Don't look that deep..._

Somehow she managed to break their eye contact and looked away indifferently. "I'm afraid I don't understand you at all, Mr. Johnson." she stated emotionlessly, shrugging her shoulders. "You seem to suggest as if there was something wrong with me, as you can see, I'm in perfect physical and mental condition, I can assure you!"

She didn't look at him directly but in the corner of her eye she could still see his silhouette and she knew he hadn't moved an inch. "Forgive me, Miss O'Brien," his quiet but clear voice drifted into her ears. "I allowed myself to come after you because I was worried about you."

Surprised, she couldn't help but look at him again. Her eyebrows frowned in puzzlement.

The man calmly returned her inquiring gaze. "I was worried because I involuntarily overheard your conversation with Mrs. Cornwell." he carried on, replying to the very question she was just about to ask.

For a moment, she thought that she had misheard. She didn't; his words were still ringing in her ears. As the realization of what he had just said dawned on her, she could feel her heart jump to the top of her throat and start to slowly sink to her stomach. Then she felt the blood drain away from her face.

Slowly and piece by piece, her shattered emotions became too much to bear. The shock of what she had just heard made her start to shake and she had to fight for control over her body. But in the end, effort lost and all she could do to pretend to be steady was to breathe deeply. "You… heard us?" she repeated blankly. "But not everything?" she added with a tiny bit of hope in her heart.

That tiny bit of hope that she had hoped for vaporized like early mist in the warm morning sun as soon as the man nodded slightly.

"May I ask," she whispered with extreme difficulty, feeling both shocked and angry, "why you didn't make your presence known to us before we started the conversation?"

The man lowered his eyelids for a moment. "Forgive me for my inappropriate behaviour, Miss O'Brien," he replied even quieter than he had previously, "but it wouldn't have made much difference anyway. I knew about it long before."

"What?" she breathed out an entire lungful of air, even more shocked than before, if that was possible. Listening to her conversation with Annie in the garden was one thing but how could he know about it _before_? And it was then all her defences fell. "How? Am I so damn transparent?" she exclaimed angrily. The next thought that popped into her head took her breath away and her voice was again reduced to a whisper, "Does everyone know already?"

"No, Miss O'Brien," he replied in a calm, reassuring tone, "Only me. Nobody will ever find out from me; I just wanted to make sure that you were fine…"

The man came even closer to her, so close in fact that if she reached out with her hand now, she would be able to touch him... No, no, she didn't want to, she didn't want anybody's touch now!

"Fine? Fine? I _am_ fine! It's not your problem anyway, Mr. Johnson, so just let me be! I don't need nosy people around, I just want to be alone for a moment!" she shouted again. He was so irritatingly calm and collected, just like she had always wanted to be but never achieved and for some reason this calmness of his pushed her even further towards the edge. She turned towards the tree, already feeling the long suppressed tears rolling down her face. "Please… Mr. Johnson…" she pleaded, her fist helplessly hitting against the hard, coarse bark, "just leave me… just go…"

"No, Miss O'Brien, I won't. I will be silent if you wish, but I won't leave." The voice coming from behind her, however quiet, sounded decisively. To the contrary of what she had thought, the hand he placed on her shoulder was surprisingly gentle.

The touch was too much for Patty to take and she finally burst into tears. Her sobs however, just like on the terrace earlier on, were quiet. _I never cry loudly…_ A weird, out of place thought went through her mind, _Only once, after Stear's funeral... and since then no one has heard me crying, except for him, now…_

The man's hand on her shoulder tightened slightly its grip and despite her previous outburst, the instinct made her reach for it with her own. She felt so lonely! She really wanted to carry it by herself, keep it hidden from the entire world but since Annie had found out, that was no longer possible. Yet, even though Annie knew now, it didn't mean that she knew everything. She, Patty, couldn't allow that. At the end of the day, her friend was with child and worrying was the last thing she needed… and surely, if she knew the entire truth, she would be worried… It wasn't only about her broken heart or her inner loneliness. It was also about a very ugly feeling, a feeling Patty didn't like and wasn't proud of; a jealousy. A jealously towards Candy, for being so much more beautiful and attractive than herself, for having this unique ability of instantaneously getting into people's hearts, something she, Patty, was somewhat lacking, even after gaining so much attention from men, even if involuntarily… Yes, Annie surely would be worried if she knew all of it… That's why she had acted so bravely in front of her…

Vaguely, somewhere in the corner of her troubled mind, she realized that volume of her sobs had increased. It was still relatively quiet but it was nearly tearing her chest apart. Her cry was now almost shaking her entire body and Patty held on tighter to the tree trunk to steady herself. The tears seemed to be endless. She had already given up trying to stop them; every time she wiped them from her face, new ones filled her eyes, blurring her sight. She was crying for losing the wonderful man she never had and she had always known she was probably never meant to be with but she couldn't help but fall. She was crying for the wasted years she could have lived differently. Finally, she was crying out her anger on herself for being so shattered and unable to pull herself together.

At this very moment she didn't care anymore that this man who stood behind her had become a witness to her breakdown. He simply was, and his presence maybe didn't make her any less sad but, what was surprising, it was decreasing a little, the feeling of loneliness. His presence here, something she was cursing at only minutes before, now became a blessing. He simply was and she almost literally felt his inner strength. That was an unusual and weird feeling indeed; in the silence of this foggy evening, here, she was crying out her soul out but at the same time she felt the strength of another human being, standing next to her. And all that was thanks to a simple touch from a hand... He didn't embrace her, he just held his palm on her shoulder and she was tightly holding onto it as if it was the only bridge to normality. He didn't say a word, didn't ask anything, didn't demand anything; he just simply stood there, with a silent understanding and giving her the needed strength by this simple touch alone. And despite her deep, nearly choking sadness, she was thankful for that.

Such an intense cry is always tiring and what usually comes after this sort of tiredness is numbness. However, tears were still rolling down her cheeks, Patty felt her breath regaining its usual rhythm, her heart still heavy, yet, somehow lighter. She did feel a little numb and this was actually somehow… liberating. At least for now.

She felt as the man's hand loosening its grip and finally, let go of her shoulder. And at the loss of the hand, her mind began to clear up. She suddenly realized the awkwardness of the entire situation. She cried on the stranger's shoulder! Well, he wasn't a complete stranger to her; at the end of the day, she had known him for years by now but still… She couldn't say that she knew him very well; she actually didn't know anything about him except for being Albert's aid and the most trusted man. And she doubted that witnessing somebody's private moments such as this belonged in the assistant's regular duties. Would he make fun of her from now on, she asked herself? No, came an immediate reply from within her, he hadn't laughed thus far, besides, he didn't seem the type… But would he still pity her, even if not openly? It would be hard for her to cope with that if he did…

This thought made her straighten up proudly. She really didn't want anybody's sympathy. Bracing herself, she turned.

He still stood in the same spot, without moving back even an inch, hands loosely hanging by his sides. As she lifted her head up to reach his eye level, she noticed no smile on his lips, not ever a trace. She didn't see pity in his facial expression either; there was only a wisdom that emanated from his serious, dark eyes. And something she couldn't quite explain happened. For some reason the rest of her tears had now vanished.

"Are you feeling better, Miss O'Brien?" he asked quietly.

"No," she replied honestly, with her voice a little hoarse from crying, "but it doesn't matter. I _will_ feel better. One day. Hopefully." Still looking straight into his eyes, she cleared her throat, took a slow, deep breath and added, "Thank you."

The man's eyes opened slightly wider. "What are you thanking me for, Miss O'Brien? I haven't done anything special."

Patty blinked couple of times. So, she rejected his presence, convinced that she should be alone only to be proved that_ he_ was right when he insisted on keeping her company and now he is saying that it was nothing?

"But you did!" she stated quietly but firmly. "You did help me. I'm still sad, but now I think I have the strength to bear it. And this is all thanks to you. I did need someone… Why?" she asked all of a sudden, "What made you come after me?"

The man closed his eyes for a moment. "There are moments sometimes when one really shouldn't be left alone, no matter how much one desires it." he replied with the same quiet voice as hers.

"But why?" she demanded again. "Or, more like, _how_? How did you know, Mr. Johnson?" she inquired. He had indeed mentioned of his listening in to the conversation between her and Annie but it bothered her how he had managed to correctly guess her real mood, something that Annie had missed. And even though she still felt quite awkward about speaking so openly about her situation with a man she barely knew, she wasn't going to quit. By now, he already knew enough, speaking more of it couldn't do any more damage than has already been done. But she wanted to know the precise moment that she betrayed herself and it seemed like he could give her a straight answer. "You said that you knew before I even went to the garden. How? When?"

The dark, unwavering gaze rested upon her again and she found herself being studied very carefully, as if he wanted to make sure that she was serious about her request. She was, and she must have given her quite determined look because he finally, decided to reply. "During the announcement." he concisely explained. "It was the only time, for a very brief moment but I saw your facial expression."

So, this was it… This was indeed, just like she thought, the moment in which her mask fell off… For a few seconds she lost control over herself, overwhelmed by the pain in her heart… "And… nobody else saw it?" she pressed. "You are sure of that?"

He nodded. "It was only me." he assured her. "I know because it is my job to watch in silence and know before anybody else knows. Your secret is safe with me, believe me."

"And… in the garden? You heard me with Annie…" she went on bravely, nodding in the direction of the mansion, "So," she paused for a second, "how did you know that her words weren't enough to console me? She believed me when I said that I'm fine." she added. "Why didn't you?"

"Would any consolation work so quickly?" he answered with a question. Then, he turned away from her slightly so now they were both facing the lake and subconsciously, Patty exhaled inaudibly with relief. Bravery was one thing but she felt a little weird looking right into his piercing eyes. Speaking into the empty space before them felt much more comfortable and safe. "It always takes time." he continued and these few simple words resounded dully in the humid air. "And it also takes one's experience to know that an interrupted cry is never a finished cry."

Despite the sadness that still seemed to drown her, his words made her curious. This man seemed to have a habit of either speaking really sparsely or speaking in riddles in order to avoid a direct answer. And even though involuntarily, she found herself intrigued. Not irritated anymore, now, when all the tension and anger from within her were gone, there was only intrigue. "What do you mean, Mr. Johnson?" she asked.

"Sometimes a thousand words won't do as well as a simple tear, for as long as it isn't shed in secret before the world." he stated enigmatically. "Simply speaking; sometimes it's better to cry than talk about the problem for hours but it isn't good when one is lonely in such moments. And losing a dream does make people feel lonely. And vulnerable."

Patty couldn't help but to turn and stare at him with a questioning gaze, a little lost, not really understanding the full meaning of his words. And she admitted that aloud.

"At some point, Miss O'Brien, you said something about Sir Andrew being only a dream to you, something beautiful to hold onto." he explained. "Mrs. Cornwell is a very good friend but with all due respect, she is still very young," he added, again, seemingly out of context, "perhaps too young to read between the lines, to understand the double meaning of your words. Because, not to everyone of course but to some people losing a dream, especially if this dream was like a guiding light, can sometimes be painful, it can shatter one's world… or, at least seriously shake it. She has been thus far spared from such an experience, thank God, but this prevented her from seeing the real depth of the situation."

"But _you_ weren't spared, were you?" she retorted in a sudden epiphany, before she could stop herself. A slight look of pain crossed the man's face and died out as quickly as it appeared but she noticed it and realized that she involuntarily touched some sore spot of his. "I'm… I'm sorry." she apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to bring anything painful. It's just… what you said…" she shrugged slowly, "It seemed as if you were speaking from _your_ experience and…"

Her voice trailed off as she felt her natural inner shyness creeping back in. For a quite long time now, many people thought of her as a more mature, confident woman. And confident she was – but not when it came to the world of emotions, whether hers or someone else's. She hated being injured but what she hated even more was to hurt others. And there was something about this man that made her incapable of wearing her mask of boldness. So there she was; feeling emotionally naked and unable to cover her vulnerability. She felt embarrassed; embarrassed and ashamed, for involuntarily hurting somebody with her impulsive words. She bowed her head and pressed her lips together.

"It's alright, Miss O'Brien, don't worry about it." he replied calmly. "You were right; I was indeed speaking from my own experience."

Patty couldn't help but to spare him a quick, discreet glance again. And this time, he noticed. It couldn't have been otherwise; in fact, she found him already looking at her. For a moment, he held her gaze with his own.

"I'm old, Miss O'Brien." he went on with a barely noticeable smile before turning away again. "Believe me, the years I've lived are more than enough time for the things of different sorts to happen. And yes… I did once lose a dream that shattered my world."

Surprised by this sudden confession, Patty opened her mouth as if she was just about to ask about something but closed it within the next second and once again pressed her lips together, as if to stop herself from blurting something out. Now she understood. _So, that's __**how**__ he knew… He must have recognized my grief as his own from the past, whatever happened to him… _She concluded. _He knew what I was going through because he had been through something similar… That's why he didn't want me to be alone… It's… it's so kind of him to be so concerned about me, about the person he barely knows…_

She wasn't even aware that she wasn't as focused on her broken heart as much as she had been so far. The sadness was still there, deep within her, but what was really weird, she felt somehow detached from it. Instead, surprisingly to herself, she found herself pondering about the man standing beside her. Never before, through out the last six years of knowing him had she once considered him a person with his own personality. From her point of view, George Johnson was always only the Andrews' lawyer and executor, professional in every way, the man so committed and loyal to this family, he seemed to live only for his duties. She just realized how wrong she was; being ever so quiet and so perfectly discreet, that even though he was present in a big company, he was barely noticeable. But surely he had to have his private life. Of course he must have had one, like everyone; he must have had his own personal joys and sorrows, hopes and disappointments…

She wasn't going to ask directly about his personal drama of course, this would have been simply rude. But she wondered if what he told her was totally coincidental. And the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was getting that it wasn't. She might have been completely wrong but she had a funny, strong inkling that he was trying to gently hint at something…

Gaining again all the courage she had, although without looking at him, she inquired, "Mr. Johnson… Do you mind… do you mind if I ask you something… about _your_ experience?"

For a moment, there was no reply. Then, she sensed his movement and felt his gaze on her. And indeed, when she looked up, she again met her temporary companion's dark, nearly black eyes. For a few more seconds he looked carefully into hers in complete silence and then, he shook his head.

"I don't mind, Miss O'Brien." he replied with a small but this time much warmer smile. "Please," he encouraged, "ask me whatever you feel like."

"How can one live later… you know, after _losing that dream_?" she asked the question that had been swirling in her mind for the last couple of minutes. "Is it possible to live life as it was before? Like nothing ever happened?"

The smile faded slowly from the man's face and he became very serious again. "No." he replied firmly, and in his voice she clearly sensed a certainty. "_This _is impossible, I'm afraid. No one remains exactly the same through out his entire life. That's impossible because everything around us changes and influences us, whether these are big events or just the everyday issues we don't even notice. We change constantly along with the world surrounding us, we experience good and bad things and foolish is the one who believes that he can chose for himself only the good ones. Life isn't about picking the best bits and acting as if the bad ones didn't exist. Life is about facing the reality as it is and living it day by day."

It was something odd in hearing this nearly philosophical statement in the late, foggy evening. Or, maybe not? Patty listened, her eyes wide opened, a little intimidated by this firm reasoning. _Like a question and an answer. _She thought, feeling vaguely that the words of consolation changed subtly into a gentle scolding. But he was right, she admitted to herself. Life indeed wasn't about living in one's dream world. Life was about living the reality…

"Okay then… But… is it possible to live through everything, mostly the bad, without becoming embittered?" she corrected herself.

"_That_…" he pronounced the word protractedly, "is entirely up to one's determination. If one loves life enough on its own, one will not allow oneself to become embittered."

It wasn't exactly the answer she wanted to hear but she didn't feel disappointed or upset. It was peculiar but these words carried some sort of strength along with them. _Maybe if I repeat it to myself enough times, I will manage to convince myself that I can live normally, that I can perhaps be happy again… one day… No! No 'if' or 'maybe'! _She decided suddenly, straightening up firmly. _ I __**will**__ be happy again!_

Patty really felt strong now. This unexpected and unwelcomed meeting with the man she knew and yet she didn't, let her understand that she wasn't the only one having sorrows. During the party in the parlour she had considered herself the unluckiest, unhappiest and the loneliest person on the face of the planet, darkly foreseeing only more of her bad luck and loneliness in the future to come. But now she saw things differently; she was only one of many. More; others probably had or were experiencing much worse things than she just did. Heck, she swore in her mind, she herself experienced worse things in the past! If she lived after losing Stear – she'll live after this too!

Her own, such unusual determination sent shivers up her spine. She was surprised to feel this way. It was as if a new Patty was born tonight. A new, more determined Patty. No more letting her life slip through her fingers! No more cowardly waiting for a better opportunity to come – she will be creating her own opportunities! No more harbouring hopeless, unrealistic dreams – she will stick to reality and there she will be looking for her happiness! Not in a soft, comfortable dreamland! Yes, that's what she will do!

Patty shuddered again and this made her rouse. She looked around. It wasn't only her new attitude that gave her chills. It was also the fog. While they talked, it thickened, creeping higher and higher up the lake's bank and stealing every bit of warmth from the night air. She didn't notice it before, so focused was she on the conversation.

"We should get back." she spoke clearly, breaking the long moment of silence between them. "It's getting cold. Besides, I'm sure they are already looking for us."

The man looked at her, visibly surprised by her change in subject. It was probably by the firmness in her voice too because his gaze was long and enquiring. "As you wish, Miss O'Brien,." he agreed, seeing as she shuddered slightly. "But before we do, I'd suggest that you wash you face first."

"My… oh…" she understood suddenly and raised her hands to her eyes. She brushed her skin gently; her fingertips came back black from the mascara. She didn't want to even wonder how horribly she might have looked like with black patches smudged around her eyes; without hesitating even a second, she turned and ran down the path, towards the lake. She didn't have the slightest idea how badly her make-up was smudged so to be sure, she carefully washed her entire face. It didn't matter how she looked right now but it will matter soon, once she re-enters the parlour. It was better if she went inside slightly pale rather than looking like a panda bear, she thought.

She couldn't avoid feeling surprised when she turned around. The man had waited a few feet away from her with a handkerchief in his hand. She accepted it hesitantly but also with gratefulness. Without a word she dried her face, only feeling how sore her eyes were. This fact alone told her that she didn't look decent enough to simply walk back into the party and act as if nothing happened. Everybody would immediately notice her red, swollen eyes.

"Mr. Johnson…" she inquired with her eyes still closed, "Is it possible I could use the kitchen entrance? I think I should go straight to the guest's bathroom and make sure my face looks decent." she admitted honestly.

"It's possible," he confirmed, "but it's not only the guests' curious looks you should avoid on the way in, it's also the servants'. And I'm sure that the kitchen is probably full of them right now. If you don't mind, I could recommend a different entrance."

Patty glanced at him expectantly.

"We could enter through the dining room." he explained. "I have the spare keys and there shouldn't be anyone there now so you could come inside unnoticed."

"Sounds reasonable." she agreed. "Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I really wouldn't like anybody else to see me… and know."

"I understand." he assured her.

Patty nodded and began walking up the path. They left the beach behind in silence, without looking at each other anymore. Meanwhile, the fog had crept even higher and now was almost covering the entire garden. It muffled the sound of their footsteps; actually everything sank into a still quietness. It invited to simply contemplate the silence of the night rather than speak and it suited Patty's need. There was something else she wanted to say and she needed a moment of silence to think it through.

In this surreal silence, they finally got to the stairs and ascended onto the terrace. Avoiding the bright lights coming from the parlour, they went to the other door on the left side of the building. As he had mentioned, there were no lights on, nor a single soul inside. George reached into his inner breast pocket and from there, retrieved a small, leather wallet. As he unzipped it, whatever amount of the dim moonlight that entered here reflected on the very few keys that appeared inside.

"Mr. Johnson…" Patty spoke quietly, stopping him just before he inserted the key into the lock. He turned towards her and waited, looking at her calmly. She bit her lips again; there was really something about this man she had never noticed until today, something in his unwavering gaze that made her feel uneasy, as if she was a little, timid girl. Odd, considering that he was her friend's employee. Why then did she feel like she needed to explain how she felt? Why did she feel as if she needed to be sure that there were no inaccuracies between them? Who was he to her anyway? Was it only because of this brief, ephemeral moment of understanding? She didn't know. She didn't know if she wanted to know.

"Mr. Johnson…" she said his name again, this time more firmly, "I just wanted you to know something… Despite of what I feel right now… deep down I'm happy for Albert and Candy, really. It's weird because these two feelings shouldn't exist in one's heart at the same time… but they do. They contradict each other and yet…"

"Miss O'Brien." he interrupted her gently. "I do understand, trust me." He closed his eyes for a moment – she saw it even in the near darkness – and added in a serious, mused voice, "One can feel torn this way sometimes."

Patty sighed with deep relief. He understood. He really, really understood.

"I want to ask you for something once again, Mr. Johnson…" she went on. "I know you are loyal foremost to Albert but I really need to ask you to keep this a secret. What I said to Annie earlier on… I was honest. I really don't want to damage our friendship by letting them know how I feel."

He didn't reply straight away, he only stood there, looking at her strikingly carefully. Once again she felt slightly perplexed under his serious, understanding gaze.

"Whoever gave you your name, Miss O'Brien, did it wisely." he said finally.

Completely dumbfounded, Patty opened her eyes wider and barely restrained herself from shaking her head. Maybe he understood her but it didn't work both ways!

"_Patricius_ in Latin means noble." George explained, seeing a silent question in her eyes. "Just like hiding your pain for your friends' sake is, too. They will never find out how good a friend you really are to them – and this is exactly what makes your actions so noble."

Patty didn't reply. She simply couldn't. _What a weird evening, _she thought. _Weird evening, weird meeting, weird man, weird talk… I just don't follow…_

"I promise." George added shortly.

"Thank you." she replied. Had someone ask her right now, she wouldn't be able to tell if she was thanking him for his promise to be discreet or for the most unusual and yet, the nicest compliment she had ever received.

George nodded and turned towards the door. The key finally found its destination and with a quiet click unlocked the glass door. "I know I'm not at all in a position to offer it," he added as she slipped inside, "but should you feel one day that you need to talk to someone… I will always be here."

Patty stopped. "Thank you." she repeated quietly her words of gratitude. She didn't know why but the man's proposition moved her deeply. Yet, she knew that she'd rather never feel the need to talk about what happened to her tonight. And she felt like she had to decline his offer in a delicate manner. She owed him too much to simply say: 'no!' As she walked away, she looked back at the man standing there from behind her shoulder. "I really appreciate that but I think that from now on I should rather focus on living my reality."

A slight smile and a barely noticeable nod told her that he, again, understood.

Patty turned her head and without looking back anymore, she walked forwards and melted into the darkness of the dining room.

Behind her, the door closed and then locked with a quiet click.

O O O


	22. ICE AND FIRE part 1

**"From all around, in this stream so steady**

**Complaints, demands I heard**

**"22'd better soon be ready!"**

**- Fear raised my ginger hair…**

**Gave up few nights, woke up at dawn**

**Boiled my poor brain into a plain pulp**

**My eyes, pissed off, refused at last**

**And all of this, you see – for you!**

**My Beta-Eddie did his edits**

**So finally, I can say:**

**While 23 is being readied**

**You with 22 enjoy your day!"**

** .**

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: ICE AND FIRE (part 1)**

**8th May 1923, Chicago**

Although it was only early Monday morning, the lawn in front of the tall, multi story complex of St. Camille's Hospital*37) already had quite a few people wandering about the place. Quite a big group was the one that included nurses, scurrying from one building to another or accompanying the very few patients who were allowed to go outside that early. There were even more people coming in from the main gate, all walking along the tiled path towards the entrance to the building. Among them were a petite blond nurse and an athletically built young man with chestnut brown hair. As they crossed the gate by the tall, brick wall, the young man suddenly stopped and looked around, surprised. And even though the bright morning sunshine beamed right into his eyes, he barely squinted, as if he was well used to and accustomed to being and working in open spaces. "Wow…!" he exclaimed protractedly. As nothing covered the view anymore, he could see not only the main, six story building but also two smaller, detached buildings on either side. "It didn't look this big from the outside!"

"I know!" his companion agreed. "I had the same feeling when I first got here. It is bigger when compared to St. Joanna's where I had worked when I first moved to Chicago. But I've got used to it. And if you think this one is big – you should see Presbyterian where I had my course! That is a massive complex, I'm telling you! A true labyrinth! I got lost on the very first day!" she added, giggling quietly.

"No, thanks!" said the man as he raised his hands in defence. "This one is already enough for me. When I look at it, I feel like it would encompass the clinic in Lakewood City at least four times! Anyway, Candy, you were supposed to guide me…" he reminded her as they began walking again.

"Oh, yes." Candy moderated herself. "Let me start from this wing then. It's a special ward in the cases of septic diseases." She explained, beginning 'the tour' around the hospital she had promised her friend that very morning, at breakfast. "The management decided to move this ward into here from the main building and it was a good idea. It's easier to contain viruses and keep them away from the regular patients. Now it's almost empty, but many times it had been really hectic there…" she paused abruptly and turned towards a woman in a hospital robe who sat on a bench nearby. "Good morning, Mrs. Riley, how are you feeling today?" she greeted the old woman warmly and the patient replied with a smile of thankfulness. Candy then turned back to her friend and continued where she had left off: "Here in the main building, we have a few different departments: Emergency Room, Ambulatory Surgery and Intensive Care are on the ground floor, then each consecutive floors goes to Cardiology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. I've worked in all of them. You know, Tom, before the school, I was just a general nurse but now I reckon I'm going to get involved more with assisting surgeries…"

Once again her voice trailed off as she stopped by a group of boys playing on the grass. "Hi guys, you're outside so early today?" she questioned them. Her voice was deceivingly sweet, which contrasted with her slightly frowned eyebrows.

One of the boys replied that they had been given permission and so were allowed out, but even though he looked resolutely in Candy's eyes, Tom could swear that a deep red blush stained the boy's already heavy red cheeks.

"Really?" Candy asked, placing her hands on her hips. "That is really interesting in what you say, Benny, because I know for a fact that there is no going out for kids before the first morning round is over, and that hasn't even started yet! And do you know what gives the game away?" she frowned even more. "If someone was _really_ staying out here with permission, he wouldn't be wearing slippers but shoes, and those I believe, are still locked away in your main wardrobe! So all of this smells like a story that a bunch of local tomboys who simply sneaked out would make up! Now then, GET BACK TO THE WARD IMMEDIATELY OR I WILL DETAIN YOU FOR A MILLION YEARS!"

Without a word of protest, the three boys submissively ran towards the hospital door, giving silent confirmation of their guilt. Candy turned back to her friend, smiled and began walking up the path again. "So, where was I..? Oh yes, surgeries. We have ten altogether, all fully…" Candy stopped again and looked at her friend. "What?" she asked, seeing Tom's face, tormented in fruitless attempt at holding back his amusement. "What?" she repeated.

"Nothing!" Tom said before finally bursting out with a quick laugh. "Oh goodness, for a moment I felt exactly like I was back at Pony's Home, all those years ago when we were kids. You were terrorizing us back then in exactly the same manner!

"I wasn't _terrorizing _you!" she protested. "I was The Boss, remember?"

"Yeah, _The_ Boss, terrorizing everybody and putting all the things according to her likings, with the significant help from her lasso." Tom corrected her teasingly. "I wonder what the guests at yesterday's party would have said if they knew that the genteel lady they think they all know is in actual fact, an unruly rascal? They would have said that you surely dragged Albert to the altar with your lasso!" he finished, laughing heartily again.

"Tom, stop it, you are embarrassing me…" Candy lowered her eyes and focused on her shoes.

"Hey, I was just teasing you, sorry, can't help it!" Tom lifted his hand and playfully ruffled her fringe. "I can clearly see how happy you and Albert both are. And that's great! Everyone was waiting for that."

"What do you mean by 'everybody'?" she inquired.

"You know… all of us at Lakewood." Tom shrugged. "Whenever I visited Pony's Home, we spoke of you guys. Sister Maria has wondered for the past year now how much longer it would take you to decide and Miss Pony, on the other hand, was absolutely certain that the wedding would take place this very year. So, when the invitation for your birthday party arrived, she made a bet out of it with Sister Maria, saying that it was surely also your engagement party. And she won, bless her."

"Fantastic." Candy smirked and then, smiled fondly. "So much for my great surprise yesterday, I was so sure of that! How about you, Tom?" she quickly changed the subject and carried on walking towards the entrance. "Are you going to ever get married?"

"I was seeing someone two years ago but nothing came out of it." Tom shrugged his shoulders again. "But I know that father can't wait to have an heir for the farm."

"He will have it one day. I'm sure many girls are queuing up for you. And that's no surprise, you don't look too bad..." she teased. "I would say that you are actually pretty handsome..."

Tom pressed his palm against his chest and looked down at Candy in a pretty well achieved attempt of pretended fondness. "I knew it...!" he exclaimed. "I knew that one day you will finally appreciate how handsome I really am and realize that you were meant to be with me and only me... That's it, I'm claiming you back as my own; I knew you before Albert!" He sighed heavily and then, his sigh turned smoothly into hearty laughter from his own joke. "Be serious, Candy. Who would want a cattle breeder nowadays... Most of the girls want to live in the city and so did the girl I was seeing. Not a big loss anyway, we didn't have much in common." Tom's face became serious for a moment but almost immediately he grinned again. "So," he went on in a teasing tone, "unless you tell me now that you have suddenly changed your mind and would like to marry me instead of Albert, I'm going to remain a bachelor who might later adopt one of the boys from Pony's Home as my son, like father had taken me in."

"You might as well already consider yourself a forever bachelor." Candy retorted with a smile of pure amusement by her friend's mockery. "But with this adoption… it's not a bad idea, you know? Just don't rush it, you are not dying yet. You are only twenty five. I'm sure that one day you will find the one who will move your heart the way no others ever could."

As they finally got to the hospital door, Candy opened it and Tom followed her in.

The inside was a completely different contrast to the outside. Whilst the exterior was bright and cheerful, the interior had a very solemn feeling to it. The dark entrance and massive walls of the early nineteenth century building were very much intimidating and immediately ceased any want for joking or carrying on with any private matters. Both childhood friends became more serious and focused.

"And here we go with the obvious; our waiting room." Candy continued the tour, although now in a much quieter voice. "Sometimes it's as busy as a beehive in here. And over there" she pointed to their right, "is the Emergency Room and there," she pointed in the opposite direction, "is the entrance for the Ambulatory and Intensive Care Unit. Here we have the lifts. It's so much easier to transport the patients to the upper floors! And this is the reception. Every one of us has a night shift here…"

"…and, as always _you_ have the most to say about it?" the cold voice came from behind, sharply interrupting Candy's monologue.

They both turned around. Before them, in the main entrance, stood a black-haired nurse dressed up in an impeccably white uniform. Her unbelievably straightened back made her look like a very strict headmistress and her dark eyes cast an icy cold stare at Candy from behind the rim of her glasses.

"Hello, Flammy." Candy replied, calmly holding her colleague's gaze.

The senior nurse barely spared a brief glance at Tom and diverted her cold gaze back to Candy. "I see you have plenty of time for a chit chat?" she noted dryly.

"I still have half an hour before my shift starts." Candy explained. "I only wanted to show him my work place. Let me introduce you; this is Tom, my…" she turned slightly to point out her friend but before she could even finish her sentence, Flammy walked right through them without saying a word, walked a few steps forwards, turned left and into the waiting elevator. The steel door closed behind her with a dull metallic clang.

Candy sighed quietly. "Sorry, Tom," she apologized, resigned, "we were unlucky to bump right into our very own merciless Ice Cube. I'd better go upstairs. Are you sure you will find the way back?"

"Sure, don't worry." Tom replied slowly, still looking at the closed door of the lift. "All I have to do is to get to the lake and walk along the shore. See you in the evening."

"Yeah, see you."

Candy ran upstairs. _Since I'm already here, I could start earlier,_ she thought to herself in the changing room as she put on one of her spare uniforms that she always kept in her locker. She stood in front of the full length mirror attached to the wall and quickly checked her hair. The only way to keep it restrained was to plait it tightly and like she had done in the morning. Luckily Tom ruffled only her fringe; otherwise she would have to comb her hair once again and spend another ten or so minutes plaiting it. She put her cap on and forced the few unruly curls underneath it. She could start another day.

The morning meeting was about to start in few minutes time but the nurse's room was still empty. Wanting to save herself some time later, Candy took the patient's cards from the desk and sat on one of the chairs that always stood by the wall. She was halfway through her reading when the door opened.

"Who would have said?" came a dreaded voice. "Suddenly you've started to hurry to work?"

"I do what I do almost every day." Candy replied without taking her eyes off the patients forms. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Well, I thought you would still be downstairs, showing off to this hunk of yours." The dark haired woman continued. "You always did like impressing the boys."

In her utter surprise, Candy couldn't help but blink and peer up from above the sheets of patient cards that she held firmly in her hands. "A… hunk..?" she repeated the woman's words. "Are you talking about Tom?" she laughed shortly, now understanding that Flammy must have mistaken him for her boyfriend. "He isn't 'my hunk'. He is my brother."

"Brother?" Flammy said patronizingly. "Nice one, Candy. I was rather sure that you don't have a family."

Her smile now gone, Candy clenched her teeth in order to restrain the sudden surge of anger. After counting to at least twenty, when she was sure she wasn't going to explode here and now, she stood up and walked closer to her colleague. "No, I don't," she admitted, "but thanks a lot for not hesitating to remind me about it. For your information, Tom and I grew up in the same orphanage and we used to treat each other as siblings. That's why I call him 'brother'. He came to visit me here for the first time since I moved to Chicago and he also wanted to see where I worked, so I showed him. I also wanted to introduce you as my supervisor but of course you had to be rude!"

Her explanations, however, fell on deaf ears. "Brother or not, it doesn't matter!" Flammy snapped back coldly and sharply. "The hospital is not a gallery for guests to visit! Remember that for next time!"

Another nurse's arrival stopped what seemed to be the beginnings of a very heated conversation. Apart from that incident, the rest of the morning followed its usual routine.

_She is so cold!_ Candy thought to herself some time later, when they were all headed to their assigned duties. Her cheery mood from this morning's chat with Tom was irrevocably gone, she was now serious. _It's very much like her, she hasn't changed a bit since school. Rules are rules, fine, but she could simply be polite for a change! But I must say, at least she has her eyes in the right place; Tom is handsome indeed... _

Later on she didn't dwell anymore about the incident that morning. The day passed for her as a typical day in the Emergency ward and she had simply gotten too busy to think about anything else other than her duties.

When she finally finished in the evening, she didn't go to her apartment. Not being able to take any days off to look after her guests for the entirety of their visit, she still wanted to spend as much time as she could with them and that's why, like the day before, she was going to spend the night at the mansion. And to get there as quick as possible, she took one of the city's many yellow cabs offering their services.

By the time she got to the mansion, it was already well past eight o'clock. She decided to take a quick shower and with her hair still a little damp from washing it, she came back downstairs to have supper with the others. After the breakfast they all had this morning, most of the guests had gone back to their own lives and obligations and the only guests who remained were the visitors from Lakewood and Annie with Archie. With such a closely knit group around, the atmosphere in the dining room was even far more informal than the one in the parlour the night before. Everyone was sitting in leisurely and comfortable positions, to each their own, unrestrained from any strict rules whatsoever and simply just enjoying the presence of the others around them and what they had to say. As she ate, she listened to the stories from her friends about how they had all spent the day. During the trip into the city, they had stopped and visited many shops to buy small gifts for the children at Pony's Home and certain books which was unavailable back in Lakewood. For lunch, they went to the promenade on The Municipal Pier. Sister Maria, especially, was astonished by the view, with ships floating seemingly just within hands reach. The biggest surprise had come in the way they had came back home: Albert had taken them all on board a hired water taxi and after a short delightful journey along the coast, they had arrived back at the mansion's own beach. Some had felt that today had been somewhat of an adventure compared to their usual daily routine.

They chatted for a long time, not noticing the quick passing of time and it wasn't until way after midnight that Candy glanced at her watch. Even though reluctantly, she would have to leave this nice company soon. Her common sense, together with her tired body and mind were telling her to go to sleep. "Forgive me, guys." she said with a smile. "With most regret, I now have to leave you. The morning work just won't wait for me. I wish I had more days off."

"Oh, don't worry, Candy." Miss Pony assured her. "To be honest we can barely keep our eyes open too. You know we are used to going to sleep much earlier than at this hour."

"Annie, you should rest too." Archie added. "You've been active all day…"

"Alright, that's an order then: go to your beds, everyone!" Albert commanded, smiling, "Thank you all for the wonderful evening."

Without further ado, the guest started to make their way out of the room.

All the guests had their bedrooms on the first floor and that was where they all split, bidding each other good night. At this time of the night, with almost all the staff already retired to their beds, the mansion was completely silent and even the tiniest of sounds seemed ten times louder than in the day time. Clap, clap, clap... The sound of Candy's shoes' shuffling on the stony stairs echoed quietly within the walls of the staircase as she slowly ascended to the second floor. _I just want to sleep, sleep, sleep...,_ she thought as she took the last step, turned right and began to walk down the dark corridor that led her towards her old room in the southern wing of the mansion.

"Hey, Wild Lady…"

At the sound of a hushed, but still deep, male voice from behind, Candy immediately stopped. Her lips instantaneously grew into a smile and she turned to the direction from whence the voice had come from. Behind her, a few steps down the stairs stood Albert. With the lamps now switched off, the only source of light on the stairs was the moonlight streaming through the tall, narrow window and even though she saw only the dark outline of his silhouette, she had no trouble in recognizing him. "Hi, Prince…" she called lazily, the drowsiness detectable in her voice. "How did you manage to sneak up behind me? Two floors and I didn't hear a thing…"

"Because I'm intangible as mist and as invisible as the wind …" Albert sang in response.

"Yeah, yeah, of course you are." Candy murmured, glancing at his feet as he stepped up to join her at top of the stairs. "You are very light on your feet because you simply have softer shoes than I… What are you doing up here?"

"How can you even ask that?" Albert berated her playfully. "What kind of a prince would I be if I didn't walk my Wild Lady to her chamber? Come on, sweetheart…" he covered the remaining distance between them and within an instant he had wrapped his arm around her waist, "…before you fall asleep here…"

Candy didn't need any more prompting. With a content sigh she rested her head on her fiancée's arm and let him lead her along the corridor. In silence they walked on the hard, highly polished floor, Candy was now more focused on making as little noise with her shoes as possible.

When they got to her door, she didn't let go off him. "You don't want me to think that you came up two floors only to say good night at my doorstep?" she said and as he resisted, she gently attempted to pull him in. "You think I don't know what you are really after?"

"So sure of your irresistible charms, aren't we?" Albert asked, standing in the darkness, holding onto the door frame. "And what would you say if I told you that acting like a real gentleman and saying goodnight at your doorstep was exactly what I intended to do?"

"I would have said then that you are a terrible liar."

A small, noiseless chortle told her everything she needed to know. "You're right." Albert replied. "I was never a good liar." And with that, the door closed behind them. Candy found herself immediately being pulled into her private, well known little haven. A strong male arm wrapped around her waist, and again, it gently drew her into a soft, warm cuddle. As Albert embraced her, she felt the warmth of his body under his thin shirt. She inhaled deeply; Albert's own fragrance, combined with his cedar wood cologne had both a soothing and invigorating effect on her; it always had. She sighed, and contented, snuggled deeper under his arm. She felt Albert's warm lips brushing lightly against her temple; his free hand loitered lazily in and around her hair. She sighed again, now feeling completely relaxed and wonderfully safe, something she felt only with him.

Inch by inch, the lips that were stuck on her temple began making their way down, firstly, stroking lightly her eyebrow, then, sliding along her cheek.

"See, I knew it…" she whispered as she trembled.

"Huh..?" Albert replied in a hushed murmur, not stopping his tracks.

"I knew that you came here for a _proper_ goodnight." she managed to say before his lips found her ones and brushed against them in a long, slow stroke.

Albert didn't reply, too preoccupied with coaxing her to part her lips again. And even if for some reason she would want to stop her lips from replying, she would have found it virtually impossible. She had control over her life and most of her actions – but this kind of control was somewhat waning when it came to moments like this one, when he was kissing her. It was as if her lips had gained sentience as they moved drowsily on their own, merging and tangling with his in an ancient primitive dance. It's not like she was going to complain. The last time he kissed her like this was the day before, before the guests arrived and gosh, it felt like it had been eons since then. _I must be really addicted to him, _She thought with a slight amusement, _if a day without being kissed seems wasted…_

The arm wrapped around her waist loosened its grip without releasing her body entirely. Slowly, as if reluctantly, Albert broke their kiss and buried his face in her hair. "God, Candy…" he sighed softly into her ear, "you are _so_ addictive…"

Candy couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Her drowsiness forgotten, she moved her head back slightly to look up at him and a short, soundless giggle shook her body.

"What?" Albert asked, a little puzzled, "What's so funny?"

"You are not going to believe me but I have just been thinking about exactly the same thing; about how addicted I am to you." She explained honestly.

With her sight now more adjusted to the darkness of her room, she could see the little frown disappear from Albert's face. His left eyebrow and the right corner of his lips both rose at the same time, making a funny smile. "I guess that puts us in the same club." he said.

"So..." Candy hung her voice tentatively, lazily tilting her head to the side, "since we are in the same club… what do you think we should do about this addiction of ours?"

Albert smiled wider. "Don't trouble yourself with it, baby." he assured her. "I think I have more than a few ideas. Rest assured that I will most certainly share them with you in two months time."

For some reason Candy felt slightly disappointed. "I was rather wondering what we could do about this addiction _now_..." she stated suggestively. As Albert's amusement and smile faded from his face and slowly replaced by surprise, she continued bravely, inwardly shocked with her own audacity, "Will you stay with me?"

With these five words, spoken in a quiet, quivering voice, the atmosphere between them changed entirely. Any earlier playfulness between them now gone, they stared at each other with deep seriousness in their gazes. The air suddenly had become more tense; waiting for her fiancée's reaction, Candy barely breathed.

Boom boom, boom boom.

Candy felt her heart starting to pound loudly and speed up its pace.

BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM.

"Do you realize what you are asking me to do?" Albert asked after a long moment of silence. "I thought… I thought that your dream was to be married while you were still..."

"But of course…! It's just that… I wanted…" Candy sighed, hesitating, suddenly not knowing exactly how to explain to him her sudden impulse that had made her say her request. She was now feeling torn between the instinctive urge of pedalling backwards and retract her proposition and the want to follow her need. Finally, she decided on the latter. "Is it so strange that I feel like I need to be simply close to you…?" she went on. "That I want to fall asleep in your arms?"

For a reply, a small smile, again, adorned the corner of Albert's lips, although his eyes remained serious in expression. "_That_ you don't have to explain to me." he said. "You know very well how much I would like the same thing."

Candy sensed that the gate had opened a little for her. So suddenly overwhelmed by the need of being simply cuddled up in her beloved's embrace and falling asleep, feeling his presence by her side, she couldn't help but to see the unique opportunity to have Albert just for herself for a little while longer in this late hour. Something rather unusual, partly because in the past few months, even though they had spent a lot of time together, Albert had never once stayed overnight. It was the part of their unspoken deal that they will let everything happen in due course and at the right time. It was the matter of how they were both raised and what they believed in and he had firmly insisted that, with all the wrong things between them in the past, this was definitely something they should maintain the right way. And she couldn't disagree with him then. As their relationship grew with time, it cost them a lot of effort to stop their desires of wanting to be more intimate at bay but they had somehow managed. But now she couldn't help but desperately want to fulfil her sudden need of being close to him.

"So just stay with me!" she repeated pleadingly. "Can't you see how good an opportunity we have right now? It's not like in my apartment when you always had to leave before a certain time just for keeping up appearances. Here you can stay longer with no worries that someone will notice you leaving and…"

"Baby…" he interrupted her softly, touching her chin with his finger and lifting it slightly to his face, "I don't really care what others might say. What I'm a little worried about is if I can stop myself at only holding you in my arms."

"No matter what you might do, I belong to you, Albert." She offered trustingly. "I just want to feel you are near me, fall asleep in you arms… like in October, remember? It's my last night here; tomorrow after work, I'll be going back to my place and for the next couple of months we won't be seeing each other except only in other people's company, most probably with less than five minutes of privacy…"

Albert didn't reply and she sensed that he was hesitant.

"Just until I fall asleep…" she proceeded, pouting and giving him a sad puppy face look from under her eyelashes. "Please? I promise to be a good girl?"

Hearing that, Albert rolled his eyes. "And how can I possibly deny you anything when you look at me that way? You know I shouldn't, don't you?" he asked, and sighed protractedly, knowing he had already been defeated. "Go and get changed."

As she quickly turned away and hurried to the bathroom, he couldn't see her face but he didn't have to, he could easily imagine her huge, victorious smile. _My lovely, little rascal, _He thought, shaking his head, _you found out a long time ago about the weakness I have for you and now you are using it as a weapon against me… as if the last few months temptation wasn't enough… Shame on you, baby…_

Partially listening to the noises coming from the bathroom, partially musing on his temptation, he turned to face the bedroom door. The chances for somebody to come by here at this time were slim but he didn't want to take any chances. As quietly as he could, he turned the key in the lock.

As he walked towards the large bed, the same one that she had been using throughout all the years of living here, he heard the click of the opening bathroom door to his right. The bright light pouring out from inside the bathroom blinded his eyes temporarily but he could still make out the outline of a female silhouette as she slipped out and quickly back into the bedroom again. With the light now turned off, his eyes again adjusted to the soft darkness and he could now see that she was wrapped in something long and white. The gown was long but the fabric must have been terribly thin for he saw how softly it draped over the curves of her body. He sighed inwardly again. It seemed like the little vixen wasn't going to ease the temptation, no...

"Get in the bed." he commanded. As soon as he had said it, something akin to an enthusiastic nymph, enthusiastically took off from the place where it stood and flew across the room with blinding speed. He watched with much interest as she jumped and landed face down on the bed, but as she got up and bent over to unroll the bedcovers from the corners, he turned his eyes away. Too late though; in that brief glance, he saw what was to be seen and for what is once seen cannot be unseen. The fabric of the gown was maybe a little on the long side but hardly thick enough to hide the fact that the young woman wearing it didn't appear to have anything else underneath it. Albert swallowed harder. No, this little vixen definitely wasn't helping...

Only when the rustling from the bed had ceased, he looked again in that direction. Candy had already made herself comfortable on the big fluffy pillows and was now clearly waiting for him to join her. He approached the bed from the other side, sat on it and one by one, removed his shoes. Deciding to leave his clothes on, he only undid the first few buttons of his shirt and then proceeded to move higher up on the bed. It only took him a moment to slip between the duvet and the bed sheets. Lying there on his side, he had one arm under his head and with the other, he reached out, slipped it around his fiancée's body and pulled her closer until her back touched his torso.

"Is this alright?" he asked quietly.

The only reply he got was something that sounded very much like a purring of a cat that is content with how life is treating her at that moment.

Albert smiled to himself and buried his face deeper into the thick waves of his fiancée's curls. He shifted around slightly until he found a more comfortable position and then, relaxed. But this period of relaxation was only a fleeting moment; the way her warm, womanly smell hit his nostrils was way too sensual and too much for him to remain indifferent and relaxed. He frowned slightly. It wasn't only Candy's natural fragrance he could smell; there was also a hint of a foreign fragrance that tickled his senses. He lifted his head, closed his eyes to intensify the sensation and inhaled slowly to follow the trace of the smell to its source. He found it; it was strongest just behind her ear. He inhaled deeply, this time, savouring this unique combination of fragrances. It was indescribable, so intoxicating that it made his head spin and with each passing second he found himself less and less able to focus. He nudged the spot gently with the tip of his nose and before he knew it, his lips followed. He let them wander for a moment above the wonderfully silky skin behind her ear, causing a small shiver to run through her, then onto her earlobe and it was only when he was just about to lower himself on her craned neck, he realized what he was doing. With this little wake up call also came a realization of what was so bothering about this intoxicating fragrance. It was new, fresh! He could swear that it wasn't there before when they cuddled mere minutes ago. What he felt previously was the very faint smell of the soap and shampoo she had used for the shower a few hours before – but _this_ fragrance definitely wasn't there! And that meant…

"You little vixen…" he murmured against her ear. "You did this in purpose, didn't you?"

"What?"

"Your perfume… You used some perfume when you were in the bathroom, didn't you?"

He lifted his head, and feeling this movement, Candy slowly turned her head to him. It was dark but even in the darkness he saw how her big eyes opened even wider and looked at him innocently. It didn't deceive him; the smile that beamed on her face confirmed that he had been right.

"So much for the promise of being a good girl." he summed her up, smirking. "What is that smell? I could swear I've never smelt it before…"

"It's my birthday present from one of the girls." She explained. "Do you like it?"

"Do you really need to ask?" he replied to her with a question. Leaning to her ear, he whispered, "It drives me crazy."

Even through their clothing, he felt a small shiver run along her body. A second later he also felt her hand edging it's way up his neck, then, slender fingers curling around his hair. Her thumb softly caressed his earlobe momentarily before she raised her face slightly and whispered back, "Good."

Somewhere in his mind, a tiny alarm bell rang and his ever so rational self began sheepishly reasoning with his instinctual self that this was the last opportunity for him to remain a gentleman. All he had to do was to get up and leave. After a second or two of hard deliberating with himself, he decided to kick the reasonable self back into the furthest recesses of his mind and immediately his instinctual part felt that much better for it.

Right now, he had much pleasant things to dwell on about. He had the warm, wonderfully soft skin of his woman's neck right under his lips and it was a thing way too tempting to resist. Breathing slowly, with a smooth movement of his tongue, he gave a gentle, probing lick along her jaw line. Feeling her shake and swallow rapidly, he smirked. Little vixen knew the rules and yet, she deliberately coaxed him into this "closeness"? Fine, then "closeness" she shall have. When the time came to answer the matter of whether he was able to control himself or not, well, he was going to worry about that later, when the time came. Right now he was going to remind this little vixen something she should have already known by herself; that she shouldn't toy with this man's nature. At the dawn of all creation, all men were designed to be predators and even though that humanity had convinced itself that it had become civilized and should be everyone's goal since one's birth, deep down, every man had a sparkle, the remnants of something that was supposed to be wild. He discovered his own wildness while he was in the Congo. And now he was going to give her a little taste of what it means to challenge a man's sparkle.

He lifted his head and focused again on her neck. While thus far he had gotten to know almost every curve of her body, it had been done through her clothing. Her neck, however, was altogether an entirely different matter. He could honestly say that he knew every inch, every corner, every contour and every sensitive spot on it. He had heard that the majority of women's most sensitive area was the crook of the neck. It wasn't in Candy's case. Hers was behind her ear, just exactly on the point where she had applied the perfume, drawing him in like a sailor to a Siren's song. And he was about to pay her back for this.

He shifted their bodies so that now he was lying fully behind her, buried his face in her locks again and slowly, ever so slowly, began moving towards the area of his interest. He knew what would cause her an immediate reaction. Hovering his lips just above her skin, barely a hair's breadth away, he allowed his breath to dance on it. And he knew that he wasn't going to be left disappointed; she gasped rapidly. He smirked again. She loved it when he was caressing her this way – but he also knew that she couldn't take this torture for much longer. It wouldn't be long before she would be beg and crave for the full touch on the skin – and here we go, there she was, already wriggling in an attempt to snuggle closer into his embrace and craning her neck forwards so he would have no choice but to kiss it fully. _ Like a well trained kitten, demanding a caress… _He thought to himself with devilish amusement. _But not just yet, my sweet…_

Holding her body still with his right hand, he tangled the other in her hair. Mindful of not pulling on it too hard, he held onto it and held her head in place too. Not in a brutal movement – but just firm enough to let her understand who was in charge here. And this was the moment she probably began realizing that the rules had changed, and from petted cat, she had now turned into a trapped mouse. She remained still for a second only to resume wriggling underneath him, this time, trying to free herself and face him. He didn't let her. He tightened his grip on her, raised himself on his elbow and pressing himself against her back he pinned her to the bed. With her body partially covered with his own and with her legs fully trapped underneath his, he achieved what he wanted – he stilled her movements completely. It worked just as he expected. It couldn't have been otherwise; her petite body simply couldn't compete with the weight of his much larger frame.

Now having her almost unable to move, he resumed his sweet torture. Smirking, he let his lips once again wander about behind her ear and below, this time planting tiny, barely perceptible, nibbles here and there, topped up with a quick flick of his tongue on the parts of her skin where his lips couldn't reach. Underneath him, he could feel her body move rhythmically, both relaxing and stiffening at his slightest touch. Before long, he had her wriggling again and gasping for air. It was then he loosened his grip on her hair and retraced his fingers along her hairline. In response, her body twisted underneath him and a whiny moan escaped out from her mouth.

"Albert… please…" she gasped again as he repeated the movement of his fingers. "I can't… take it anymore…"

"Oh, but you can." He assured her, surprised how hoarse his voice had become. And once again, he stroked the overly sensitive area.

"Plea-se…" she begged, now breathless, "It's so… it drives me crazy."

He couldn't help but laugh noiselessly. "Well, welcome to the club then." He whispered hotly into her ear.

However, having already achieved his first goal, he decided to complicitously comply with her pleading. Without releasing her body from under his, he allowed his lips to finally come into full contact with her soft skin. She sighed with content, relieved from enduring the torture of being teased – until he started moving on. He traced a line of hot, hungry kisses along her jaw line and back, then, he proceeded down her arched neck to where her pulse was running and he bit her skin gently, earning himself yet another sigh. As his fingers followed the way down her spine, he could feel the goose bumps protruding from her skin – a clear, well known sign to him of the pleasure his touch was able to give to her.

And then, he began to want more. It had been his firm decision to leave her untouched until their wedding – and he was going to keep the word he had given to himself – but it didn't mean that he couldn't relish her body in an altogether, different way. He wanted nothing more but to remove this white, tempting gown of hers from her body and finally lay his hands on her naked form in all its glory. He wanted to confront his imagination of its softness to its real counterpart. He knew well the main curves of her body; the lines of her shoulders, the soft firmness of her breasts, the narrow arch of her waist, the subtle hour-glass of her hips – but now he yearned to uncover all of it and make a mental map of every single inch of her. He wanted to give her a little taste of what was really like to be with him, a prelude of what he was planning to do to her once she was rightfully his. It was a need so strong that he was beginning to have problems breathing.

Forcing himself to finally release the slightly abused neck, he slid off her and moved back a little – only to make enough space to lay her flat on the bed. With this done, he slid back beside her, pushing the duvet slightly aside in the process. Now, having more direct access, as well as a better view on her upper body, he didn't hesitate to allow his eyes to roam up and down upon it. It was dark but it wasn't absolutely pitch black and he could clearly see how the fabric heaved on her breasts as she breathed quickly. This darkness, brightened only by the distant moon behind the window, painted her white gown in deep shades of azure, cobalt and black and these colours strangely fuelled his fascination even more. Even though the fabric was thin, he couldn't see anything underneath it without some light permeating through it – but his mind and his eyes had no doubts as to what created the dark shadows on each of her breasts. Not able to stop himself, he moved his hand from her waist where it had been resting so far and stroking her side, slowly lifted it higher up. When the tips of his fingers finally touched the soft hill he had been aiming for, he stopped. Seriously, he hasn't even touched her properly and he could already feel how his arousal was slowly taking him over. So far he had been focusing so much only on her and her reactions that he had managed to ignore his own state but now it was becoming clear that that was not possible anymore. Neither for him nor it was for her – the sudden stiffening of the muscles of her leg told him that she had noticed his erection.

Slowly, clenching his teeth, he lifted his head from where he was looking and for the first time since they had lain down, he met her gaze. Her eyes were barely open, misted over with her desire, she wasn't even trying to hide it from him. The moment of pretending anything had long passed– and now he saw the beauty of the words she had said to him earlier. She already considered herself his – and now she was trustingly letting him do with her as he pleased. In this, the love and trust she gave him, no man could get a better present from his woman.

He held her body tighter to his and she gasped slightly at the feel of his manliness, pressing harder against her thigh.

"Can you see what you are doing to me?" he groaned hoarsely. "Feel it!" he demanded, grinding himself against her again.

This time, her gasp was sudden and sharp as if she had a problem breathing properly too. That, he understood very well – in fact, he was experiencing something quite similar.

He forced his hand to abandon his target for a moment and moved it up along her arm. When he got to her wrist, he clutched his fingers around it and slowly but firmly, he pulled it above her head and pressed it against the pillow. Holding her there for a moment just so that she had no doubts about where he wanted her to keep her hand, he looked into her eyes again. Locking her gaze with his, he slowly descended his hand, gently brushing his fingertips down her arm all the way from the wrist to her collarbone. And he wasn't going to stop there. His fingers began tracing the line down along the neck-opening of her gown and significantly slowed down its pace at the tiny "V" of her cleavage. She gasped again and he couldn't help but smirk smugly and smugly did he smirk. She understood his silent clue about what it was he was about to do. But he was going to tell her anyway.

"I want to see you…" he managed to finally say and immediately swallowed, shocked at how his voice almost refused him, becoming barely a whisper. "I want to see you. All of you." he repeated. "And I want to touch every inch of you."

He noticed how she involuntarily bit her lower lip and sucked on it a bit nervously – only to let go of it after a moment and give him a small, slightly shaky nod. That was enough for him.

Not wanting to rush into anything from this first truly intimate game, he took between his fingers one of the two silky strings holding the two parts of the neck-opening together and ever so slowly, pulled until the strings unravelled and fell loose. With the same speed he treated every single one of the many, tiny buttons that adorned the front of the gown all the way to the waist. _Why, _he cursed in his mind,forcing his impatient, trembling fingers to work steadily, _why do women have to wear garments with such ridiculously small buttons? Who the hell invented these things?_

After what felt like ages, with the last button finally undone, he once again traced the line along the edge of the now loosened material with his fingers, and at last, he let them slip underneath. Skin touched skin and he had to close his eyes to savour the sensation to its fullest. His fingers were simply gliding over her stomach, finding no resistance, so smooth her skin was. He grinned inwardly, already imagining how smooth it would feel below his lips…

His lively imagination must have been what gave him a little push because his hand suddenly gained a life of its own. Still gently but no longer slowly, it moved higher up and as if instinctively knowing the best position, rested on this so long desired breast.

.

How long before she lost consciousness? It would be either from the excess of pleasure or lack of oxygen or both combined but it would happen soon, she was sure of it. How on Earth was he doing that, it flashed through her clouded mind? What was he doing to her that she found a simple task like keeping her eyes open, nearly impossible? How could he possibly manage to rob her of her breath with such a gentle, subtle touch that had yet to touch the more intimate areas of her body? And it wasn't like he hadn't touched her before and it hadn't been at all as gently as now… Oh yes, but there was a huge difference, to feel even quite a rough touch through a dress, shirt or whatever she was wearing at those times and feeling this subtle touch directly on her skin… It was a feeling so amazing that she felt as if she had been given a new layer of skin, much more sensitive that her original one. His touch was delicate, yet, she could feel every movement of his fingers. And it was a sensation so amazing that she simply forgot how to breathe…

The skill of breathing was forcefully brought back to her as something that felt like an electric spark ran down her spine. Her back arched beyond her will and no longer touched the bed and as her entire body stayed in this position for a few moments, her mouth opened in a silent scream. _Oh goodness! Oh gosh,_ it swirled madly in her now totally dazed mind, _what could possibly feel so good?_

Her body was forced back down, pressed on by something heavy but it took her another second to realize that it was Albert, gently but firmly pushing her back on the pillow. With the first electrifying shock gone, her senses partially came back to her and she finally realized what the source of her body's crazy spasm was. And it was still there but now it was simply sending tiny waves of pleasure all along her body, one after the other…

With difficulty, she managed to open her tightly shut eyelids. Just before her eyes she had Albert's hair, bluish-grey due to the darkness but even now able to catch the tiniest specks of light here and there. He didn't even notice her movement – so occupied he was. She managed to crane her neck forwards just a little higher – and now not only could she feel what he was doing; she could also _see_ what he was doing. With shock, she registered that both parts of the top of her gown were pushed aside – when did this happen? – and she could now see his hand, no longer was it gently cupping her breast. With the pad of his thumb, he was purposively stimulating her almost painfully hardened nipple. With each passing second, her already sensitive skin was shrinking even more, almost sorely as if from the cold, but it felt nicer, so much nicer… She wanted more… And he was eager to give her more, she realized; he was paying equal attention to her other breast, but instead of his other thumb, it had been replaced by his lips and tongue

Not really controlling her movements, she let go of the bed sheet she had been apparently clutching in her palm and she reached out her hand to him. He surely must have felt her fingers digging into his shoulder but he didn't stop his doings; he just slightly lifted his gaze from above her breast. Their eyes met, increasing the tension between them. The atmosphere was so unbelievably intimate that she could swear that they were the only two left in the entire world. And even if they weren't… who cared? What mattered to her right now was seeing the desire in her beloved's eyes, seeing every change caused by it on his expressive face… Not able to stop herself, she glanced at his lips, at his very, _very _busy lips. It felt so weird and yet, there was something so incredibly erotic in watching such a private part of her body, usually hidden behind layers of clothing, now fully exposed to her man's view and his doings. She couldn't really tell whether he was doing things 'right' or not, it was her first experience after all but she didn't really care. To her, it felt unbelievably good. Only her sixth sense was telling her that it was probably a new experience for him too, for his explorations initially seemed a bit imprecise and a bit hesitant – but he was learning surprisingly fast. Maybe it was her body, twisting and shuddering under the certain swirls of his curious tongue that told him what she was reacting to the most, maybe it was the moans and groans that she just couldn't help but let out from her throat when he decided to gently bite her nipple with his teeth – whatever it was, he listened to it intently and memorized what she liked. And he repeated whatever he had discovered, over and over and over again – until the world began to spin slowly around her. It was odd but closing her eyes suddenly seemed safer… Not to see anything, for she felt as if she was falling into something – just feel…

She had managed to close her mouth for a moment but her attempt to swallow was utterly futile, her throat was completely dry. She felt wonderful as her body reached the state of being clouded in a warm, tingling pleasure and yet, her senses were sharply aware of what was happening. If this was how it felt lying in a man's arms, in _his _arms, then by all means, she wanted to stay like this forever! She had grown eager to get closer to him ages ago and had often fantasized about how it would be like – but not one of her daydreams or any of their earlier rendezvousing had prepared her for what she was experiencing right now…

Suddenly, breathing became a little easier. That wasn't saying much but it was enough for her to catch something that faintly resembled her regular breathing. Slowly, feeling as if her eyelids were made out of lead, she forced herself to open her eyes again. She met the intense gaze of narrowed eyes, darkened with hot desire.

"What… are you doing to me…?" she managed to whisper between her gasps.

She could see how Albert hesitated about the answer for a moment. "Just getting a little taste of how it will be like, to feast on my beautiful woman." he replied finally, his voice nearly as hoarse as hers. He then carried on doing what he was doing.

"A _little _taste?" she couldn't stop a helpless, pleasurable moan pass through her lips. _A **little** taste? **That **was just a little taste? _"I'm already in heaven… Where else can you possibly take me?"

To her surprise, Albert chuckled deeply and smiled to her with a smile she had never seen on his face before. There was something so wild about this smile, something expressing so much of a primal desire that if she hadn't known him, it would have seem ominous to her. But she did know him – and this smile only told her how lost in his desire for her he was.

"Oh, baby…" he countered smoothly, his deep voice suspiciously melodious, "You are no way near heaven. Yet." He added with more smugness as he started to move his hand downwards.

Suddenly, she started having doubts if she had been totally correct about his smile. Something inside her mind was telling her that she wasn't. _Oh my… _An alarmed thought shot like a bolt of lightening throughher mind, _I think I'm in trouble…_

And in trouble she was – if having a passionate, terribly attractive and visibly – no, wrong, _perceptibly_ aroused man on top of her could be considered being in trouble… Oh indeed, in trouble she was, it preyed on her endlessly as he continued to look at her with this new smile of his, while his hand firmly made its way further down. It stopped midway and conquered the flat fields of her stomach, squeezing and stroking the muscles that suddenly came back to life under her sensitive skin. Oh, in trouble she was, she knew that when the inquisitive hand resurfaced from underneath her gown, started sliding over the fabric and resumed its travel south… She had no doubts where it was headed to and the mere thought of if filled her with nervous anticipation, leaving her tense like a highly compressed spring. The anticipation soon turned into shock as the searching hand found its final destination and covered the area in a possessive gesture. Oh yes, she was in trouble – and she loved every second of it!

"Do you want me to take you to heaven, Candy?" he asked huskily and she felt one of his fingers moving back and forth slightly, the caress limited, yet somehow intensified by the movement of the thin fabric. "To _your own_ little heaven?"

The question somehow registered in her euphoric mind, although she was surprised that that was even actually possible. The moment he touched her _there, _the tightly coiled spring of anticipation was instantaneously released and she felt a wave of almost unbearable heat, flooding her loins. Surely, she had gotten aroused with him before – but it had never been this way. It actually wasn't even a heat, no – it was like liquid fire, spreading through her veins, burning and promising more. And she longed for more. Her body tensed again, suspended in this momentum and then, completely beyond her will, it moved, causing her hips to press slightly against his hand. Could she honestly refuse his proposition? Had she even tried to force herself to make an effort to regain control over herself, it would have been futile. Apparently, her body had already decided for her.

"Please…" she whispered.

And just like she didn't have any more doubts, Albert didn't need any more prompting. His hand slipped on her hip and then further, reaching under her thigh. She began to understand what he wanted to do when he pulled her leg higher and pressed against his hip. Having a better range, he once again reached down, to her knee, where her gown ended. The next second, it was pulled up from her leg and flung onto her hip.

While he busied himself mapping every inch of her naked thigh and buttock, she decided that it has been a little one sided so far and it was her turn to take some initiative. She lifted her trembling hand and let them softly snake up under his partially unbuttoned shirt. But exploring his neck and shoulder just simply wasn't enough. She wanted to feel him, all of him under her fingers, just like he had been apparently eager for the same thing earlier. Without a second thought, with dexterity only women possess when it comes to dealing with small buttons, she began fervently undoing the ones that separated her desperate hand from what she wanted to touch. She wanted to savour his skin, as he did with hers and show him that her hands were as generous as his. She also wanted to get to know all of him before they…

It surprised her when her hand was suddenly stopped by a larger, masculine one. When she shifted her hazed gaze, Albert was looking at her seriously, shaking his head.

"Don't overestimate my self-control!" There was a tone of warning in his voice.

"But why…" she protested weakly, confused, "I just want to touch you too… feel you… before we…"

It must have surprised him what she was implying because he went silent for a moment. "You didn't understand me." He said finally, letting go of her hand. "Tonight is about you and you _only."_

"But I though…that we…"

"Shhh…" Before she knew, his hand was on her chin and he silenced her, pressing his thumb against her lips. "Too much talking, baby."

She opened her mouth to protest yet again, but instead, found her mouth occupied by a very eager, probing tongue. The way he was kissing her now had nothing to do with either those tender kisses they had shared so far or with those many passionate ones. It was a hard, unrelenting, demanding kiss that had only one purpose; to show his advantage over her. And she got the message quickly – or, rather her traitorous body got it quickly, she felt herself melting under him like butter. She couldn't remember any longer what was so important she wanted to protest about; she simply gave in to the feeling.

Lost in a pool of pleasure that she was currently immersed, she barely noticed that the hand that was holding her by the chin had released her and once again resumed its travel south. This time its journey was shorter; in fact, she only registered being touched and the hand was already at its destination. She wriggled in anticipation, expecting the same possessive gesture as before – but that wasn't what happened. To the total contrary to the still dominating way she was being kissed, the fingers that glided upon her core, were as light as a touch of a butterfly's wings. It was such a strange sensation – to respond to the demands of his very hungry lips and at the same time, experiencing a very delicate caress some place else. She felt enraptured as his long fingers gently separated her pulsating, feminine petals and slowly followed the line along their edges. She felt a shiver inside her body, also the muscles of her abdomen and legs began trembling in a deep, organic shudder. There was an unspecified ache deep within her that she couldn't yet fully grasp. The only thing she did know was that as he continued exploring her flesh, this slowly coiling spiral of burning heat began building up and growing.

And his fingers didn't stop exploring, no… They slid along her core further, came back, searching, learning, memorizing… Over and over until she was sure that she would soon be driven mad from this new form of torture, intensified for she wasn't even able to moan. When she was certain she could take no more – one of his fingers slid between her petals and almost immediately found its way to a certain spot that she had never presumed could be so unbelievably sensitive. It was then she was sure the world had shuddered with her and within a blink of an eye, she understood the nature of her ache. Her body thrashed so forcefully that it tore their kiss apart and moved her hips up – inadvertent causing yet more friction with his fingers against her flesh. The world shuddered again.

"Here?" she barely heard him say, his single word sounded like a distant rumble.

Some part of her, surprisingly still conscious, found it important to give confirmation. Unable to speak a word, she only managed a nod. Or, at least she thought she nodded – nothing was for sure anymore. The only thing she was sure of was the hot spirals of fire, being sent up her spine as he began moving his finger again. Surely, she knew her body well enough, including the intimate areas – but nothing had prepared her for the way it felt to have a man's hand touching her, nor for the bliss that could be delivered by it…

As he continued stroking her secret bud with a tip of his finger, she felt herself getting close to something she couldn't name – but, heavens, it felt good! She held on tighter to his neck while her other hand fervently searched along her body to grab anything to hold onto as well. The only thing she found was a pillow – and her palm instantaneously clenched into a fist on its edge. She was about to die and go straight to that heaven he was promising her, she was certain.

And it was then she felt her pearl being abandoned as the magic making finger moved further down her core again. She had long forgotten how to use her voice – the only thing she managed was a quiet, discontent moan at the loss of the caress.

"Shhh…" he silenced her again, "I'm not done with you yet."

A second later she felt his touch again – but it felt somehow different, stronger. She didn't understand why until she felt a little pressure and then, his index finger slowly and carefully sliding inside her. She winced at the intrusion, once again introduced to a completely new sensation to her and in a form of reply, a warm, masculine hand pushed her back down gently, in a soft, sure movement, trying to soothe her anxiety. But it wasn't anxiety that she felt. They belonged to each other and his hands on and inside her body felt as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Whatever he could offer her felt just right. And what she felt was only a moment of hesitation, a moment of uncertainty of how to react to the touch and then, as she felt her inner walls clamping down on the invasive finger, there was only just pure pleasure. She didn't have to ask herself how to react to his touch – her body seemed to know much better than herself how to move under the caress. Had she even wanted to, she wouldn't be able to cease this constant, organic shuddering that ran deep inside her body and the flexing of the muscles in her abdomen. Her mind only registered the feel of his finger inside her, then, its slow movements – and her senses and imagination had already begun to swirl, crazily, filling up with flashes of assumption at what it would feel like, to feel of all of him inside her, impatiently offering her the vision of the two of them, joined as one. And perhaps it was this imagination that worked her up higher and higher because she felt the fire pit inside her body intensifying to the point of near pain, to the point when she thought she was going to snap. An unimaginable battle had begun within her; a battle between the want of remaining forever in this state of being on fire and the need for relief. And even though the finger ventured and probed deeper into her body, its movements remained slow and soft, as if he was deliberately keeping her on the edge. She was going to go insane if this torture continued, she could swear it. Unable to stop herself, she moaned protractedly, as if in pain. It was then he moved harder. She felt both his fingers – index and thumb – pressing suddenly from both outside and inside, a come hither motion – and it was all she could take. All her blood rushed down from her heart to her nether regions, then, the fire within her condensed rapidly into a tight ball and then burst into a thousand little waves, flooding her entire being. Her body arched violently, a scream froze on her lips and the only thing she could do was to hold onto him for her dear life as the world exploded around her.

.

It was a beautiful sight he knew he would never forget. There was something incredibly erotic in watching and feeling his woman squirming as she rode the first orgasm she received from him. Not only did he feel her hands, clutched tightly on him, not only did he feel the suddenly multiplied strength of her muscles as her body twisted beneath him – he could also feel it from the inside, as her inner muscles first clamped down tightly and then began convulsing and relaxing repeatedly around his fingers. Since he touched her for the first time, he felt that her body was ready, waiting for his touch, her core warm and moist – but right now the sensation was much more intense, his imprisoned fingers were coated completely with her juices. She was so wonderfully wet for him, that his imagination was sent into a state of frenzy, forcing upon him the images of other parts of his body enjoying her sleek, moist flesh and it took him all the strength he had left to resist the urge of getting rid of his clothes and entering her right here, right now.

This need wasn't something new to him, only this time, it was more intense and harder to fight off. It happened many times in the past months when he had been on the brink of loosing control – but by now, he had quite a good practice in holding in the reins. He had learnt how to redirect his thoughts and focus on something else. Imagining immersing himself in freezing cold rivers often helped. It did this time.

After a few long moments, he felt the emotional turmoil ease slightly. The physical proof of his desire had remained for longer. He was still uncomfortably hard– but it wasn't nearly as painful as before. When he was sure he could control himself again, he breathed deeper with relief. Now, with his mind cleared up, he could begin relaxing a little.

As he felt her grip on him loosening and then, her body gradually softening underneath him, he removed his hand from her. Sliding off her, he stiffly lay down beside her, waiting for her to come down from her high. And it looked like she was already back with him already – only temporarily unable to make any big movements. He saw as she struggled to open her eyes; it took her an eternally long moment to slightly lift one of her eyelids. But once that was achieved, she blinked once and opened her eyes fully, searching for his gaze. A blissful smile appeared on her lips.

"I died and I'm in heaven." she sighed.

He couldn't help but smile smugly. "With all my impertinence, I dare say you are not there yet." He corrected her. "It was only heaven's threshold."

In the hazy state that she was in, she still managed something closely resembling a look of disbelief. "You are telling me…" she stated slowly, "…that there's more than _that_?"

"I am planning to personally prove it to you." He assured smoothly.

The look of disbelief disappeared from her face as she laughed weakly, helplessly. "God, how am I going to survive more?"

He only smiled at her with manly pride and as she made a clumsy move to snuggle closer, he embraced her and let her lay on his arm. She again looked like a soft kitten, though now fully satisfied with a properly received caress. With content he watched her face brightened by the continuous, blissful grin. Gently, he followed the edge of her lips with a finger. She smiled even wider at the touch, as if understanding what he was silently pointing out.

"Do you know what…?" she asked quietly. "I don't think I will be able to hide this delighted smile tomorrow…"

"So?" he inquired.

"What do you mean, by "so"? Everyone at work will be able to guess everything just by looking at me!"

"So?" he repeated, he didn't even try to hide the smugness that almost dripped from his voice.

"Bighead." He felt her nudging his ribcage lightly.

For some time they reposed in silence. But then, to his surprise, she became more serious.

"Albert…" she began, "It feels a little unfair, you know?"

"Why?

"You know… I feel so heavenly… But you didn't…"

"Shhh…" he interrupted her, not wanting to dwell upon that particular matter. "It's okay."

"But…"

This time, before she had a chance to say more, his finger was on her lips, efficiently silencing her. "We have the rest of our lives for that." he stated softly, leaving no room for discussion. "Now, be a really good girl and close your eyes, okay?"

She gave him a questioning look but after a second, smiled again and obeyed. As her eyes closed, he lifted his fingers from her lips and pressing gently, followed the line of her nose all the way to the top. There, applying the same pressure, he began stroking lightly the ridge between her eyebrows. He continued until he felt her relaxing. From there, using just the very tips of his fingers, he brushed over her eyelids. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

"What kind of magic are you working on me this time, Wizard?" she asked drowsily. "I'm feeling so sleepy…"

"Good." He summed up.

"But I don't want to sleep just yet…" she tried to protest. "I want to…

"Shhh…" He sealed her mouth yet again, this time with a soft kiss. Seriously, silencing her became his habit this evening! "Enough of your ramblings for tonight and go to sleep!"

"Yes, Sir." She murmured submissively, with a not so submissive smile widening her lips.

He resumed his little trick and didn't stop until her body softened completely. She was quiet, he was sure that she had finally fallen asleep so it surprised him when she lifted two fingers in a drowsy parody of a student, asking for permission to speak. "Sir?" she sighed lazily.

"Hmm?"

"I love you, sir…"

Her voice trailed off and had he even wanted to silence her again, he didn't have to. She fell asleep, this time, for real.

"I love you too, my fiery, little rascal." He said softly, knowing very well she probably wasn't able to hear him anymore.

Slowly and carefully he disengaged from their embrace, got off the bed and stood up. His practice of holding in the reins on himself was one thing – but good heavens, this time he really needed a freezing cold shower too!

O O O

* * *

Footnotes:

*37* **St. Camille's Hospital** is fictional but I placed it in a real location (the address has remained the same since 1900), on south side of Douglas Park. There is a real hospital there, St. Anthony, built in 1879


	23. ICE AND FIRE part 2

Again, sorry for the long pause between the chapters. Life is a biatch sometimes and it hit me with unexpected (and veeery odd) writer's block. I knew what I wanted to write... and I could spend hours staring at the screen, unable to write a single word. Can't explain it.

Luckily, I'm back to normal and once whatever was blocking me was gone, the chapter was finished within the last 3 days.

Hope you'll enjoy.

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: ****ICE**** AND ****FIRE ****(part 2: THOUGHTS DON'T WANT TO SLEEP)**

9th May 1923, Chicago

2am…

It was his house and he could do whatever he wanted to in here but all he wanted to do right now was to make his way back to his room. Each footstep made very little noise. Not that this was intended; it was simply something in his nature that always made him move quietly like a cat. So then, as he walked down the stairs and then, along the dark corridor on the first floor, his steps were long and decisive but soft at the same time. Even if there was another soul suffering from insomnia at this late hour, they had very little chance of hearing anything. This chance was indeed so narrow that he got to his room unnoticed by anybody.

Once inside, without bothering to switch the main lights on, Albert went directly to his bathroom and only there, he flicked a switch and the small sconce above the mirror lit up. The light was dim, softened by the shade made from yellow, frosted glass. As part of the master bedroom, the bathroom was the biggest in the mansion and redesigned in a more modern style than the rest of the mansion's washrooms. He liked the style that the decorator proposed but right now his thoughts were far away from its interior. The only thing he desired right now was cold water, lots and lots of it. And if he had paid any attention towards the smooth, indigo and gold tiles of the shower, it was only because it provided him with a cold, steady surface he could press his hands against as the gushing cold stream hit his naked body. He winced at the initial contact of icy cold water on warm skin but he resisted the natural urge to move away from the cold and steadfastly remained where he stood. He needed this badly. He _really_ needed this badly. He had managed to calm down after he had left Candy's bedroom but it just took one moment of carelessness and he was lost again. This happened while he was undressing. As he was looking down, unbuttoning his shirt, yet again tonight, his fingers happened to be near his face and his nostrils caught a faint trace of a scent. Still lost in thought, without really realizing what he was doing, he had lifted his hands towards his nose and sniffed. It was a little sweet, milky butter like smell with a slight metallic undertone. He wouldn't be able to describe it precisely but there was something strangely familiar about this smell and yet, new...

And it was in this instant he had gotten roused from his musings, remembering what had transpired in the past hour, he had understood what the nature of this scent was. It was the smell of a woman.

It was Candy's.

He hadn't managed to restrain himself from taking another long sniff, again, relishing it and letting his imagination flow freely. And now he was paying the price for this moment of weakness, for his arousal, which had earlier been successfully suppressed, momentarily came back, drowning his entire body in the ache that was longing. The truth was, he was an adult man with all his manly needs running in full gear, there was point in denying that. Through the years of living without hope, he had managed to repress this part of himself into near nonexistence but since he had finally gotten his chance of being with the one who reigned in his nightly dreams and almost every waking thought, it was as if his body's libido promptly refused to remain being ignored. And there was nothing unnatural about that. And there would have been no problems with it either – if only he was a man who could just take anything that he wanted without having any remorse about it. But no, he had to be so damn honourable!

_Why can't I simply be a bad guy...? _He wondered to himself, gritting his teeth. _If I were, life would have been so much easier for me! If I were, I'd have just simply walked back upstairs and use any means at my disposal to seduce her… And I would have succeeded, I know I would have. She wouldn't have resisted… not much, anyway. I know she wants the same thing as I do… There would have been no more restraints, holding myself back, no more uneasy dreams and having an aching, unfulfilled body in the morning… There would have been just bliss of making her finally mine…_

Despite his frustration, deep down, he knew it was only the impatient ramblings of his primal, male nature, demanding its rights, so long for which has been denied. He knew he won't walk those stairs back up and won't allow his desires to take over. He had been waiting for so many months, he could wait another two…

It happened sometimes that he got truly upset with his stubborn knightly character, which, even with all the years of wandering the world in order to rebel against his family ties, just couldn't be removed. But he just couldn't help it. The aim to always be noble, running through the veins in this family for generations, poured itself into his being too and it was now well and truly mixed with his own blood, impossible to get rid off. Too bad, that except for this family heritage, he was gifted also by Mother Nature with an equally stubborn, rebelling personality and apparently quite a big sexual appetite…

Damn, the two remaining months separating him from their marriage just couldn't pass quickly enough for him!

He had no idea how long he stood under the cold shower, lost in thought and oblivious to the surroundings but it must have been some time because it wasn't only his skin that shrank from cold – as he thought for a moment, he could feel all his muscles shivering badly. Shudders shook his frame but at least he had achieved what he wanted – although cold, his body regained some sort of semblance of a state of peace.

Albert let go of the wall and reached out to the hot water tap. Not wanting to shock his body with too drastic a change in the temperature, he slowly turned the tap and after a moment, he could feel the thus far freezing stream starting to warm up a little. Gradually, he added more and more hot water, letting his body adjust and finally, when the water reached the level of being pleasantly hot, he stretched out his hand towards the shelf and took the soap bar from its porcelain holder.

In quick, brisk movements he lathered himself, massaging methodically his neck and shoulders. With the same energy, he did the same with the rest of his body. Top to bottom. He was a man and he thought that the luxuries of bathing in a bath were rather for women, but he couldn't deny the blessing influence a proper, hot shower had on him. In fact, it was doing wonders for his strained muscles. He felt himself finally relaxing, even his thoughts wandered off, numbed by the litres of hot water raging down his body, enveloped in a fine mist of hot steam. He sighed, finally finding the shower not only a means to calm him down but that he was actually having real enjoyment from the lavation itself.

Deciding that he was done washing his body, he stepped out of the torrent of water and reached for a blue glass bottle containing the shampoo. He poured some on his palm, put the bottle back on the shelf and began rubbing the shampoo into his scalp. It didn't take long; his hair was pretty short right now, trimmed to the appropriate length. He missed having long hair but the current fashion trends dictated otherwise and as much as he didn't care for looking trendy, in this particular case, he had to follow the style. At the end of the day, he was head of the family business and he had enough common sense to know that he should look respectable if he wanted to successfully deal with the old stagers of the finance world. And unfortunately long hair wasn't gaining much respect, no…

As he stepped back into the torrent of hot water again, it mixed with the shampoo and waves of foam streamed onto his shoulders and back. It travelled further down his wet glistening toned body, tickling his skin slightly on its way. He stood there, eyes closed, allowing the water to rinse his hair and face and later, the rest of his body. The cold water at the beginning refreshed him but the hot one gradually softened his senses and could he could feel as the tiredness and drowsiness began slowly taking over his body. He liked feeling this way every time he took a shower and right now he liked that _very much_. There was a chance that he would actually get some decent sleep tonight…

Feeling that there wasn't a trace of foam left on him, Albert turned the taps off and stepped out of the shower. Without looking, his body instinctively knew by the routine of hundreds of showers taken in this bathroom, he reached for the towel that hung on the rack and quickly dried his hair. With this done he grabbed another one and while he was still in his thoughts, dried the rest of his body. One more thing to do, pick up his clothes from the floor and discard them into the laundry basket – and he could go to bed. A few wooden boards creaked under his feet as he walked naked across the bedroom and so did the bed when he threw himself on the mattress. He didn't even bother getting into his pyjamas – he only turned on his back, pulling the covers over his naked body. He just wanted to remain like this; relaxed, content with his freshly washed body spread out comfortably on the bed and basking in the peace of the night for a moment, before he softly fell into the land of slumber…

He liked these moments. All his days were usually filled with so many sounds, so many noises! So many people wanting his attention, his opinion, advice, decisions... And he had a soul of a loner. His need for solitude wasn't born from the dislike towards interacting with other people, no, not at all; he actually regarded interactions with others as an important part of his life. This need of his was rather written in his nature, always making him keep most of himself to himself and seek the opportunity whenever he could to be on his own, with only his thoughts. He needed these moments of solitude like he needed air to breathe. That's why he liked the time just before going to bed, when he was free from everyday duties and obligations, when the mansion became peaceful and quiet. He liked the quietness of the night. So many thoughts came to his mind then! So many things he could ponder about or, which was his favourite, he could simply lie on the bed, without thinking about anything in particular and listen to the voices in the night garden, just like now... Right now however, if he had to be completely honest with himself, to finish the picture of perfect contentment, he needed to feel someone next to him, sharing this special peacefulness of the night without speaking a word... And truth be told, he simply longed to have a certain little woman in his bed, to have her soft body to fill his arms, to feel the warmth of her skin as he cuddled her, the movements of her chest as she breathed... As talkative as she was, he knew that she had learnt how to truly appreciate silence...

How he wished she was here with him! Or, if he could be with her in her room, hold her close to him and watch her sleep, with her face as a last thing he would see before falling asleep himself... The vision of the two them, curled up in an embrace was so realistic and tangible that he could almost feel her body against his, see her cute, little face with a ghost of a blissful smile as she slept. Because she was sleeping right now, he was sure of it. He pondered for a moment how she could have felt, slipping from her little cloud of pleasure almost straight into a deep slumber. It must have been nice, no, more than just nice; straight from the arms of Eros to Morpheus'… he wouldn't mind at all falling asleep that way… _One day… I surely will… _He promised himself drowsily. _And not just once…_

_But my, what a fiery little thing she is… _He thought suddenly, his mind not even realizing that his lips widened in a smile. He was surprised indeed. She was so responsive to his actions, so naturally open to all of his caresses… Well, all the months they had spent together probably had a lot to do with it, it definitely made her comfortable with him but knowing that, it still didn't stop him from wondering about it. He assumed that bringing a woman to completion in this way would take more time... and he was going to take his time, expecting her to slowly climb the spiral of pleasure. He tried to be ever so gentle, despite the desire burning within him, not wanting to accidentally hurt her inside with his inexperienced hand whereas she seemed to be set ablaze almost instantaneously… It astounded him. _But maybe…_He dared conclude, _maybe it was the anticipation that pushed her higher up so fast?_

Anyway, who was he to determine that? Whatever sexual experience he had prior to his relationship with her couldn't actually be called impressive. The very first time he was introduced to the world of physical love was such a long time ago, during his university years, triggered by his raging teenage hormones and curiosity, fuelled by Connor's persistent encouragement. He couldn't exactly say that after that night, he had become an expert; it only gave him a general idea of how the things should go. And the next time, that brief episode in the Congo over a year ago... he didn't even consider that as a proper act. It had begun while he was still asleep, and not exactly with his permission either, and ended as soon as he had woken up... No, that didn't count.

Did it matter, anyway? He shrugged off the unexpected memories. For as long as he knew that Candy was open and responsive to his touch, for as long as he knew that he was capable of pouring fire into her body, it was enough for him. He didn't think she would be comparing him to others… there was no others before him. Not in this way. And he was going to remain, her one and only man. He was going to learn everything about her body, discover one by one, every which way of making her shudder and moan in pleasure… He had his dreams of also making her explore his body, every inch, until his self-control evaporated like a drop of water in the desert sun… Then, he would without any restraint, make his fantasies come alive… The things he would like to…

_Damn, _he swore in his mind, suddenly feeling how his body woke up once more to life, reacting to the train of his insubordinate thoughts. Only now, did he realize how his mind, instead of sinking deeper and deeper into sleep, gradually had gotten drawn deeper and deeper into the vortex of his desires.

So much for 'not thinking of anything in particular'!

_Albert, you are just one, love possessed tomcat! _He growled at himself, gritting his teeth in frustration. _Calm down right now or you will need to take another cold shower!_

It took him many minutes of thinking about the most boring business meetings he had ever been attended, just to distract himself from the very much pleasant but, at the same time, very much troublesome thoughts. And he needed almost half an hour of tossing and turning all over the bed before sleep finally crept up on him. And as he was falling off, his last conscious thought was:

Seriously, the two remaining months separating him from their marriage just couldn't pass quickly enough for him!


	24. ICE AND FIRE part 3

**Hi guys,**

**Here I am, back with another chapter and apologizing again (man, this is really becoming a habit) for leaving you hanging out there for so long ;) I would have finished three weeks before but my little one made it almost impossible for me to write and later... oh well, blame Roni... she was the one who coaxed me into participating in this delicious event on ALSS, knowing that I won't be able to resist... I got into it so much that I actually had problems coming back to the 'Xrds II's plot... somehow, I managed... And then, when I finished, my both dear Beta-Reader and Beta-Eddie told me separately that some scenes were *** ***…. Anyway, the point is, since I want to give you only the best of myself, I had to rewrite them… Hope you'll enjoy the results.**

**And this is the message from my Beta-Eddie:**

**Dear crazy Candy & Albert fans, **

**We apologise for the lateness of this chapter but this was the chapter that gave us the most headaches. There were writes, rewrites, rewrites and more rewrites. This was due to the fact that the original chapter didn't 'feel' right. If we left it as it was, I'm sure everyone would have complained that they were reading just another mediocre story or that it got uploaded by mistake and what happened to Xroads 2. We tried to keep the quality as high as the other chapters, otherwise, I'll have failed. This chapter was supposed to be a fairly short one but ballooned to X5! And yes, I should have finished editing this chapter sooner (I do like the sound of begging!) but I was busy at work (for a change) and when I wasn't working, I had to learn my scripts and lines (I'm an actor)...**

**We're sure that you will all think that this was worth the wait (I could be wrong!)**

**Without further ado, we proudly present Chapter 24...  
**

**Logan**

** .  
**

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: FIRE AND ICE (part 3: THE RIGHT SPURS)**

7 am…

The faint but constant ringing in the far distance was the only sound, or sight, in this pleasantly dark, endless space. It was warm and fuzzy here and she didn't want to leave. The ringing got closer and closer, louder and louder, where it had intensified to the point that she just couldn't ignore it anymore. Even though she wanted to remain here, suspended in this wonderful state of non-being, her brain had decided otherwise. Quickly, she began ascending, closing up towards the surface of consciousness. Soon, her still dazed senses recognized that she was lying on her bed, comfortably wrapped up in the soft, warm duvet. The source of the constant din was if fact, the bell on her alarm clock. Without the need to open her eyes, she pulled her hand from underneath the covers and blindly reached out to silence the clock. Due to the fact that she had done this countless of times in the past, she knew precisely where it was positioned and her fingers instinctively found the button, pressed it and silenced the bell.

The second the ringing stopped, she sighed with relief. She deliberately picked up this clock as it was one of the very few clocks capable of raising her even from the deepest depths of her slumber – but goodness, its loudness was beginning to hurt her ears!

With a sigh turning into a yawn, she pulled her arm back into the cosy duvet and wrapped it again around the warm, male's chest she was cuddling before the alarm clock woke her up. But now, awoken, she realized with disappointment that what she though was her beloved's chest, was in fact only one of the fluffy pillows. She understood. She must have hugged it in her sleep, longing for some physical contact after Albert had left...

_ I wonder if he slept well... Because I did! _She thought to herself with a grin on her face.

That grin on her face, it wasn't any old grin, oh no, it was the biggest grin of the century. If there was a competition for 'the biggest grin in the world contest', she would have received first prize.

Still wrapped up, she stretched her arms above her head and stretched, stretched until she felt all her joints in her body cracking with undeniable pleasure. This was part of her routine in restoring her body to life and it usually took her some time too. Not today. Today, she was invigorated. And as she stretched, the images from the night before danced in her mind, she could feel herself blushing hard. She could recall every single detail – even just remembering half was more than enough to send her blushing. The memory of his hands on her body brought a wave of heat that washed over her. It was only a faint reminiscence of what she had felt last night. But still, never in a million years did she presume how delightful lying in his arms could be. She had already known the touch of his hands and his lips, but what transpired between them last night had well exceeded all her expectations. It was so unexpectedly wild and yet, still so gentle and beautiful… like everything else he did… And now she finally knew. She finally knew how it felt when her naked skin shrank at the slightest contact with his fingers, how it felt like when her body was allowed to sing its song at the touch of his exploring hands...

Still with a smile on her lips, in a mused-like gesture, Candy lifted one of her arms. One of her palms slowly slipped underneath the loose upper parts of her night gown and timidly rested on her breast. Its skin was still warm from the hours of rest in the cozy bed and it was as soft as it had always been; her fingers didn't find anything unusual. Yet, it was skin that had the memory of a man's caresses imprinted on it, it was skin that knew the joy only coming from a man's fingers gliding upon its surface. Now, she could compare that feeling with her own hands, the touch of her own caress to the one that came from a man... There was no doubt. Her body never reacted in this way to the touch of her hands like it did to his last night…

Holding her nightgown with one hand, Candy tossed the duvet aside and got off the bed. She couldn't explain why but the experience she had just gained filled her with happiness. It was ridiculous of course, she knew that, but she just couldn't contain her inner joy at knowing the fact that she finally knew what it felt like, to having being brought to her physical fulfillment…

Not able to stop herself and knowing full well that nobody could see her right now, she took a few dance steps over the thick carpet. As she began twirling gently, her hair fanned out on her shoulders and floated down, covering her partially exposed breasts. She didn't even feel the chill of the morning air anymore. _Two more months…_ Something sang a chorus in her heart. _Only two more months and I will be finally, rightfully his… There will be no more backing off, no more need for maintaining this constant self-control, no more of these stupid pangs of conscience whenever we venture even an inch too far… there will be no 'too far'! No more falling asleep alone. No more… Just two more months… Just two more months…_

Still dancing and humming quietly a happy tune to herself, she picked her clothes from the wardrobe, danced into the bathroom, took a quick shower and then got dressed even quicker.

When she had finally put her clothes on, she went back into her bedroom. One more thing she needed to do before she could go downstairs and that was to comb her hair and plait it carefully…

It was on top of her dressing table when she first noticed it. A blue piece of paper, the page carefully torn out from the notepad that was always placed on her old desk, carefully tucked underneath her hairbrush. A well known, clear handwriting, smoothly drawing the few short sentences that graced the page…

She picked it up.

_ 'Good morning, my fiery Wild Lady… _

_I hope you slept well…? Knowing how tired you were, I guess you did… or, was it perhaps something else that brought you sweet dreams…? If it's the latter, I promise to give you more sweet dreams in two months time._

_A._

_P.S. In return, can you please promise me that the next time you use those tempting perfumes, it will be only AFTER we marry?_

_P.P.S. When you were falling asleep, you had this lovely, blissful smile on your lips… I'm truly curious if you will be really wearing it all day today, like you had said yourself… Well, I guess I am going to find out when I see you at breakfast…_

Upon finishing reading the short letter, Candy blushed slightly. The blissful smile she wore a second ago, had slowly turned into a grin and a mischievous sparkle now shone from her eyes. _Now, that smells like a challenge, my Prince... _ She thought wilfully, giggling quietly to herself. Oh, what fun she was going to have. _Wild Lady, you say? Well, maybe I am wild, but a lady nevertheless, when needed to be! I will show you that I **can**__ control myself..._

Faster than her usual self, she combed and plaited her hair fairly quickly, got up and grabbed her purse. Ready to head for the door, she turned back and retrieved the almost forgotten letter. Within a matter of seconds, it was neatly folded away and safely tucked into her purse. Since this was her last night at the mansion, she wasn't coming back here after work and this meant that the room was to be cleaned later. It wouldn't do any good whatsoever if any of the employed room maids found the letter and read out its rather meaningful contents. And she still remembered how gossipy the servants usually were.

With nothing else left to take care of, she left her room and hurried downstairs. It was only when she reached the main hall that she slowed down and regulated her breathing to regain her composure. It was nearly eight o'clock and no doubt everyone was already waiting at the table for breakfast to be served, but even being on the edge of being late, she couldn't just storm in looking all out of breath.

Sparing just one more minute to ask the butler to prepare the car for her and then, keeping her pace just brisk enough, she approached the dining room's opened double doors and walked in.

"Good morning everyone!" She greeted everyone in a calm, light tone. A quick glance around the room allowed her to notice that the only person missing from this company, was once again, Aunt Elroy. "I hope I'm not late?"

A few smiley faces greeted her as she approached the table. She sat in the same spot she had occupied during her birthday dinner and for yesterday's meals. The only difference was that now, with much less people around the table, the chairs were more spread apart, with quite a significant distance between each of them.

"No, you are right on time." Albert replied. "Did you sleep... well?"

Such a usual, innocent question… and only she was capable of hearing his tiny pause just before the last word. Only she could understand the full meaning behind it.

"Like a newborn baby, thank you."

And again, his usual warm smile, seemingly so innocent and a barely noticeable rise in his eyebrows, something that held meaning understandable only for her. _Funny that, what could be said between the lines without uttering a single word… _She thought, amused. He was testing her and she knew it. And he knew she knew.

To make his question look even more natural, she began asking others about their rest and for the moment, she was busy listening to everyone's replies. But only for a moment. It was less than a minute since she had entered the room when the grandfather clock rang eight times and two maids entered the dining room. They began serving breakfast and from their quick, deft movements one could tell that they had a lot of practice with moving around the table.

The breakfast proceeded like any other normal breakfast on any other given morning. Well, this was if one considered 'normal' as having to listen to jokes and anecdotes between bites. Being in such a small group always meant that conversations being held were always less formal than if the number of the people gathered were bigger. And being with people that were closest of all, well, that was even better. Not having the ever so strict family dragon meant that everyone tended to be more relaxed and unrestrained in their chatter. But having Archie in amongst the company – this, _this_ was worth its weight in gold. It equalled, if not surpassed, to having quality entertainment that one receives in the comedy clubs. Archie's latest goal against Albert was to try and win, for once, a battle of words. It was a battle of wits. It was a battle to the death. And now, he was doing everything he could to prove himself, to be the better man at giving back smart ripostes. And there were moments that it seemed as if he was gaining, or at least he thought he had gained, the upper hand – only to discover that the older of the Andrew's representatives didn't reply in the same, joking manner but with a riposte that was leaving Archie, literally, wordless. _Seriously though, _thought Candy, trying unsuccessfully, just like the others, in their attempts to restrain their chuckles and giggles. Both of them were grown men but they had their moments when they resembled two little boys, with the younger one stubbornly trying to keep up with the older man's wit. And this didn't help repressing their laughter any easier. Archie repeated his attempts, this time round, recruiting to his aid, another so called grown up, namely Tom and also, Miss Pony. And once lured into the banter, Miss Pony proved that she also had her reserve of witty replies. Soon, somehow, she got roped in onto Albert's side and with such an alliance being made, Archie and Tom were in the losing position before there had begun – although that didn't hit home until breakfast was nearly over, much to Candy's, Annie's and Sister Maria's amusement.

It was so good to see everyone so relaxed, enjoying each other's company so much!

There were moments when the jokes and laughter, ceased. Actually, everything around _her _ceased to be, and those were the moments when she clearly felt Albert's eyes boring into her. In each of those moments, she would turn her head slightly towards him and bravely meet his probing gaze. In each of those moments, she smiled brightly, innocently, just like she smiled to everyone else and it was only her gaze, a second longer than normal, otherwise it would have been considered by others as meaningless, indicated her response to his challenge.

If the witty banter between Albert and Archie had been the obvious, official offering, the one between Albert and herself, well, that was the secret one, the one that ran just beneath the surface.

And this time, she was the one who had the upper hand. She hadn't once blushed under his quick but meaningful glances, nor did she let the innocent smile fall off from her face. She didn't allow her smile to change into a blissful, wide beaming smile that he was expecting from her. She had herself under control throughout the entire breakfast.

When the chimes of the clock announced that it was already nine o'clock, she finished off her coffee and put the cup back on the table. "I hope you will have a really nice day." She said, turning towards Miss Pony and Sister Maria. "Albert and Archie will surely take care of you. I only wish I had more days off to enjoy spending time with you… But work is work, patients won't wait…"

She didn't have to explain herself further; her former teachers understood. They were, at the end of the day, those who had first taught her about being responsible. And even though her way of understanding responsibility was perhaps slightly weird when she was a kid, now it was a whole different story altogether. Now, despite her natural tendency to be absent-minded, she was dead serious when it came to her duties at the hospital. She couldn't just take leave like that whenever she wanted for her own personal likings. But with both Albert and Archie around, she could be sure that her guests' remaining hours in Chicago would be more than pleasant. Even separately, they were accomplished hosts but put together, they were capable of making any party entertaining. She already had regrets that she wouldn't be there to witness their ongoing bickering today.

"Candy..." Tom asked suddenly as she stood up, "do you mind if I go with you today as well? I'd like to go to the city centre again, I want to buy one more thing for my dad."

"No, I don't mind at all." she replied. "But if you need to go back to your room and pick up anything, you'd better hurry. I'm leaving now."

"Nope. I have everything I need with me."

"Alright, let's go then!"

Since it was already set that the guests from Lakewood would be coming by later to see her at the hospital to bid their goodbyes before going to the train station, she simply wished a great day to everyone and walked to the exit, with Tom behind her. They were already outside the door when a single clear of somebody's throat stopped her from walking any further. Candy smiled to herself. She actually half expected to be followed.

"Tom, could you wait in the car, please?" Albert requested as they turned towards him. "I just want to have a word with Candy."

Tom smiled, wiggled his eyebrows up and down meaningfully and without any further comment, left them alone and headed outside towards the waiting car.

"Well?" Albert inquired as soon as Tom was out of earshot. "Is there anything you would like to say?"

"Erm..." she deliberately hesitated, as if she was completely oblivious to what he was suggesting. "Have a nice day, darling?" she offered her answer in a questioning tone.

But he was having none of it. "Nice try." He smirked. "Try something like, 'oh, would you believe what I found today, on my dressing table this morning?'"

"On my dressing table this morning?" she repeated his words, naively and nonchalantly. "What could I have possibly found there? Well, yes, there were a few things... my make-up toiletries, my hairbrush and 'D'jone', my favourite perfumes..."

"The letter, Candy, the letter." Albert interrupted her firmly.

"Letter? What letter?" She paused for a second.

Albert narrowed his eyes as she carried on their conversation indifferently, "Oh yes, now that you mention it, I do vaguely recall that I did indeed find one. But judging by its content, I dare say it was from one of my many, many suitors." she looked at him in the most innocent way that she could. "There was something in it about some promise, I'm not quite sure. I didn't have enough time to read all ten pages."

Albert raised his eyebrows every so slightly but his face remained serious. "That many pages, about a promise?" he asked. "And what else did this poor lad write to you about?"

"Oh, there was also something along the lines about a smile after a thunderstorm, you know, typical wooing stuff…" Candy waved her hand dismissively. Oh gosh, it was unbelievable how much fun she was having! "But how could _you _possibly know anything about the letters that were left for me? Were you in my room last night?"

Albert glared down at his little blond vixen, whom, apparently having way too much fun at his own cost, and mumbled something under his breath.

Last night was over and only after having a few hours of relatively good sleep, he was now calmer but he still felt a little edgy from the lack of a really good night's rest. He had managed to keep it pacified during breakfast, distracting himself with banter with Archie, but now, Candy's slightly provocative flirting for some reason threw him a little off balance. It was ridiculous and childish to be upset with her, he knew that; at the end of the day, he had been the one who had written the letter. He should have known enough to predict that she would stand up to a challenge, any challenge. It wasn't her fault that _he _was in a grumpy mood. Grumpy and yet, amused. A ridiculous combination indeed.

"Seems like someone here is enjoying themselves a little too much…" he stated calmly.

"Who? Moi?" replied Candy, still clearly oblivious and unaware of his sudden grumpiness. Her big, emerald eyes grew bigger than before, big and as guileless as a child's – a deceptive appearance that she had mastered to perfection and which he had learnt to ignore. Little vixen was deliberately playing with him and he knew that. But it was a game he knew he had started when he left the note for her. He had no choice now but to play along.

"Come on, just say it; you simply love torturing me..." he tempted the truth from her with a smile. "I've been watching you during breakfast. You were doing everything you could just to prove to me that you can control yourself."

And he didn't have to wait long for the effect of his direct prompting. Candy's eyes immediately shone with joy and a victorious grin spread widely and rapidly on her, thus far, gently smiling lips. "And I did it, didn't I? I've won, I've won, haven't I?" she exclaimed in her normal voice, not even trying to hide her excitement.

"You have." He admitted.

"Okay then, now just a quick kiss for the winner…" she pointed to her lips. "…and I'm gone!"

"Oh no!" Albert shook his head. His amusement had slowly taken over his unwelcomed grumpiness and something deep inside was urging him to get a little revenge. And her words gave him an unexpected idea. "Everything has its price, my dear. I was going to thank you for last night, but since you, the ingrate person that you are, seemed to have forgotten about the night as soon as the morning is up… well then, I've just decided you won't have an opportunity to tempt me again in the nearest future. The next time I kiss you will be when you are my wife."

Candy's emerald eyes became big once again, but this time, it was not attempts of acting like innocence incarnated. "What?" she almost choked from disbelief.

"You heard me. If you want me to kiss you again, and I know you do, you will _have to_ marry me. There's no other option."

"But… but this is emotional blackmail!" Candy pouted her lips playfully in a protest. "This is blackmailing me into marriage! I am going to tell the priest everything!"

He sighed inaudibly. She really did think he was joking. "Well, good luck in trying to explain your predicament." He said. "I'm sure he'll understand."

"Sure, sure…" Candy once again waved her hand, dismissingly. "Very funny."

She still didn't believe he was serious! However, they had no more time to discuss this matter any further. He could definitely leave it for later. "Now, off you go…" he said, grabbing her shoulders and turning her towards the stairs while she looked at him, visibly confused. "…or you will be late for work!"

Candy gave him one more questioning look but didn't make any more comments. He watched her as she ran down the stairs and towards the waiting car. When she disappeared inside the vehicle, he turned around and stepped back into the mansion.

Inside the car, Candy sat on the back seat, temporarily oblivious to her surroundings and even Tom's presence, who sat next to her with his bushy eyebrows raised in all, but yet, unspoken question.

_No kissing until we marry - now, that's a good joke! _She rambled on, to herself, amused. _He can hardly make it past a few days, when we are too busy to meet –**two **months?_

But despite her amusement, deep down, she had this tiny but uncomfortable thought that something wasn't hundred percent right. Their quick conversation seemed to be like any other funny banter that they've had so far but she couldn't get rid of the feeling that something in Albert's behaviour was a bit off, this morning.

"Well then, did our doves coo and kiss?" she heard a voice coming from next to her.

She winced, finally snapping back to reality and remembered that she wasn't alone in the car.

"No, he just wanted to tell me something." She replied evasively. Whatever was between her and Albert was between her and Albert and she liked it that way. "Nothing, nothing really important anyway."

"Right, he told me to go away just so he could tell you something _unimportant_." Tom teased her. "He must have said something terribly fascinating about the nice weather that we have today and that's why you are blushing red."

"No, I'm not!" she protested instinctively, feeling straight away how weak her lie was, she definitely felt the unmistakable warmth in her cheeks.

"Right…" Tom laughed and gently nudged her with his elbow. "C'mon, Candy… you don't have to pretend in front of me. I'm not blind, you know! It's clear as day that you don't see the world beyond each other."

Candy sighed, resigned. "Are we that obvious?" she asked.

"Is that a bad thing?" Tom countered her with a question, grinning.

Candy shook her head and finally, she smiled too. She shouldn't get herself to be upset; not with Tom and even if she did, it wouldn't be for long anyway. "I guess not." She admitted. "But never mind. Better tell me about this thing you want to buy for your dad." She changed the subject quickly. "What is it?"

"Ah, nothing big, just wanted to get back to a certain curiosity shop*38* and look at a few items over, once again." Tom replied flippantly, and this time, there was a hint of an evasive tone that sounded in his voice.

Candy listened as he rambled on, his sentences becoming meaningless as he began to run out of things to say.

"To be honest I just wanted to spend a little more time with you." he explained finally. "You know, we are leaving tonight, and sometimes you have things you just can't discuss while others are around… Oh, cut the crap, I'm not going to beat around the bush. Time is running out!" he shouted impatiently, much to Candy's surprise. "I wanted to ask you about a certain gorgeous brunette."

"Gorgeous who?" Candy was too confused by the rapid change in her friend's behaviour to even pretend that she was following his thoughts.

"Tall, slim, long, black hair, glasses…"

"Glasses..?" she repeated, staring at Tom blankly and having absolutely no idea who he was talking about. The only girl that wore glasses that she automatically thought of was Patty but her friend had auburn hair, not black.

"You know, the one we saw yesterday morning..." Tom explained fervently, clearly wanting her to piece the facts together. "At the hospital, in the hallway… she later took a lift to…"

Candy understood who he meant before he even finished his sentence, but comprehension didn't make saying it out loud, any easier.

"You mean…" she asked carefully, wanting to make sure that her mind was still sane and that it wasn't making her hear things, "You mean... Flammy?"

"Yes, I think that's the name that you used, to call her." Tom nodded his head quickly, up and down. Before she could reply, he tilted his head to one side and continued dreamily, as if he was talking to himself, "With those metal rimmed glasses and that delicate face of hers, she would make one attractive librarian. Gorgeous, I say, simply gorgeous!"

The eyes open, the mouth moves, but miss brain has long departed.

Candy sat there, open mouthed, speechless...

_This is what you get when you are oh so certain that you think you know your friends very well. _She thought. She just understood how little indeed what she knew about this guy that she literally grew up with. In past times they had met when she had visited Pony's Home, it never even once occurred to her to ask him any serious questions about his private life; they mostly talked about everything and nothing. And now she finds out that the image of her friend that she carried in her mind was, delicately speaking, incomplete. She had always thought of him as her "adopted" brother, someone who was devoted to his farm, who was nice, stable, grounded, serious when needed but mostly, joking like a frisky kid – whereas he was a man like thousands of other adult men, and a man who apparently had quite a surprising taste in women. How did he put it? 'Attractive librarian? 'Delicate face'?

He might as well have said that the water is dry!

Not that she had anything personal against Flammy. Except for the hours on end that their paths crossed at work, Flammy didn't really exist in her life. It's just... It's just that the words 'Flammy' and 'delicate' didn't really sit well in the same sentence!

"Are we really talking about the same person?" she asked when her mouth finally regained the ability to speak. "Her? delicate? She's a piece of... a tough, strict girl, that's who she is! And she isn't just any girl. She is my supervisor!"

"Tough, you say?" Tom's eyes lit up with interest. "Not only gorgeous, a librarian type with a delicate face but also a strict and bossy supervisor, too? Hmm, this is getting better and better!"

Candy shook her head in disbelief, stopped then shock it some more, before finally looking outside the car window to make sure that she wasn't perhaps dreaming or that she had been transported to some sort of different reality. No, everything was fine; the car was still rolling along the well known, Michigan Boulevard. For a moment they sat there in silence as the car got closer to their destination. She almost sighed with relief that Tom had perhaps, dropped the subject. How wrong she was and she was about to find out by how much. "Candy, introduce me to her again!" she heard his firm plea.

She just had to turn back to him and look carefully in his face. "The worst thing part..." she said when her suspicions were confirmed, "...is that you are serious! Tom, take my good advice and spare yourself from all of this obvious trouble, okay? We call her The Ice Cube, trust me, it's not without good reason. I have known her since nursing school. She has been always so cold and lofty, and this is when she deals with women. With men – please, don't even ask! She will eat you up alive!"

"Do I look like I'm scared to you?" Tom replied with a mocking certainty in his voice. "I'm not going to be just 'any' man she had dealt with."

"Tom, please..."

"No, Candy, listen." Tom cut in fervently, all of a sudden getting serious again. "Remember what you said to me yesterday? That, one day I will meet the one who will touch my heart like no other? Man… I thought it was just one of these ridiculous phrases – until I saw _her. _When she looked into my eyes – I felt as if I had been kicked right in my stomach by a one year old colt! I mean, not in a bad meaning." He quickly corrected his little unfortunate words. "I mean, what I meant to say was that I was left breathless for a few moments. That has never happened to me before; I've met many girls but never one who could make such impression on me. I can't stop thinking about her!"

Candy hid her face in her palms and sighed deeply. Really, the last thing that she needed was to have trouble at work. Her relation with Flammy was cold at best, but civil – well, at least it _was _civil, until yesterday – and it looks like it might become a lot worse, if Tom had his way. What her ever-so-professional supervisor really disliked most, was mingling of private life with work, especially when it came to men. To say that she was very strict when it came to keeping men at bay was a _big_ understatement – she was capable of freezing them to the spot. Tom really had no idea what he was getting himself into. And her? For her, she would also feel the consequences of messing around with Flammy.

"Candy..." Tom continued pressingly, "You are happy with Albert, right? I know you are. When I look at you two, I can see how right you feel as a couple, how you fit together... And I can only imagine how great it must feel, to have such a person in your life. I spent half the night thinking about her. And do you know what? Even the thought of her warms me up in a way that I never thought was possible. When I think of her, I have this feeling that with her, I could experience something similar, like you share with Albert."

"How can you possibly know that?" Candy exclaimed, her hands slapping down onto her knees with force and not in a very lady-like gesture. "You don't even know her!"

"Weird, isn't it?" Tom confirmed with a smirk. "Don't ask me why; I just know. Here..." he pointed to his heart, "I just know it. And that's why I'm not leaving Chicago without trying to give it a chance. I don't care if she is cold, tough or unwelcoming or even if she 'eats me alive'. I have to try. No matter what the result, I will at least know that I tried."

Candy growled mentally at her friend's persistence. She was going to say 'no' but it appeared that Tom was more sure about this matter than it had initially seemed. And by mentioning the happiness she indeed shared with Albert, he had hit the right spot. Who was she to deny others their chance to fight for their happiness? She got _her _chance, second chance and honestly speaking, undeserved – how could she then turn away from someone who needed the same?

If his attempt failed, if he was to leave Chicago defeated, she would be the one suffering from Flammy's anger – but she couldn't _not_ help him.

"FINE!" She agreed with a sigh. "I'll see what I can do."

Tom's face lit up again in joy but she interrupted him quickly, to cool him down before he could get himself over the moon.

"I will do what I can." She repeated. "But I can't guarantee what _she _will do."

They have been driven for more than fifteen minutes now and they were closing to the area where St. Camille's Hospital stood. When told to, Rogers pulled the car over on the corner of 21st and Marshall Boulevard.

"No point for Mr. Rogers to wait for me God knows how long." Tom said before they exited. "I can get back to the mansion by myself, just like yesterday."

Candy didn't protest. The way from here, back to the mansion, was perhaps quite long but not complicated at all and she knew Tom won't get lost.

"So, any ideas for what we do now?" Tom asked Candy as they passed the gate and entered the hospital yard. "Maybe something on the lunch break?"

"No, we have different times for lunch, besides, she spends it in the canteen and you won't have access there." she replied. "The only chance for you to meet her is now, before she starts work. She begins at ten but she always comes in half an hour earlier. You can set your clock by it. And we are here just before her." She added, glancing at her wristwatch. "Only by minutes but we are still here before her, nonetheless."

As she stopped at the main door, Tom looked at her curiously. "You mean… in there?"

"Yes, there. Sorry for the lack of a proper atmosphere but this is the only time. Once she starts works, you really won't have access to see her. And by the time she finishes her shift, you will be long gone."

Tom nodded. "And where should I look? Where would she be coming from?" he asked. "I don't want to be surprised."

"From there." She pointed to a small building which stood deep in the hospital grounds. "From our dorm."

"From the dorm?" Tom said, surprised. "But isn't the dorm supposed to be for those who don't live in the city? Does this mean she isn't from Chicago?"

"She is." She replied. "She just chooses to live here."

"So, she is like completely alone?" Tom investigated further. "Like no family to live with?"

"She does have a family... But they don't keep in contact." She added reluctantly, vaguely feeling that she was stepping onto a slippery slope. She knew the truth about Flammy's family but it wasn't something she was allowed to reveal, even to her friends. It simply wasn't her secret.

"Why?"

"I'm sorry Tom but can't tell you." Candy shook her head. "I promised that that will stay a secret."

"Secret?" Tom's interest spiked up even higher. "She entrusted you with her secrets? So, you were friends once?"

"No, it's just…" Candy hesitated for a moment "there was just this one time when we had said a few words too much."

She suddenly remembered that moment in time. That moment in time felt like it happened yesterday. It hit her like a snowball to the face.

Flammy, a newly assigned volunteer was all ready to join the army... Herself, still young and totally naive, trying hard to convince her older colleague not to sadden her big family and to let her, a lonely girl, go in her place instead… Flammy asking for a reason of such nosiness and right after screaming out the truth about her pathological family… Flammy making her promise that she would never tell anybody or die a painful death…

"I see." Tom nodded slowly. "But at least tell me this; are you absolutely sure that she isn't seeing anybody? No man in her life? Am I not making myself an idiot?"

"Tom, I don't follow her private life. It's not only that we are not _friends – _we are not even on friendly grounds at work!" Candy pointed out pressingly. "But I'm pretty sure she doesn't have anyone. The other nurses would have known something if she did. Besides... with her attitude, she freezes everyone. No man will look at her twice."

"Not me… Candy!" Tom turned around rapidly and lowered his voice, "You were right about her punctuality! Look, here she comes!" He said excitedly.

"Calm down, Tom. She can't hear you from this far anyway. Just relax and try to act natural, as if we were busy talking to each other." She advised. Tom did as he was told but from this close, she could see that his smile was a little awkward, as if it was forced, as if he suddenly wasn't as self-secure as he had appeared earlier and she suddenly felt sparks of empathy towards him. "Hey, big bro, breathe!" she punched him gently in the arm. "You are so desperate to meet her that you are ready for anything, remember? Even for being eaten alive?"

Her little joked coaxed a short chortle from Tom, it was a little nervous but a chortle nonetheless and this probably eased his inner tension a bit. By the time the one, who unknowingly to herself, caused his turmoil finally approached them, he again looked relaxed. If he was nervous deep down, he wasn't showing it on the outside and Candy smiled to him with appreciation.

The brunette must have surely noticed them by now but she continued her march for the door without even glancing in their direction. _Weird, _Candy thought, _usually she wouldn't hesitate to just jump on people and voice her opinion..._

And she wasn't going to let her colleague pass. "Flammy!" she called her name calmly. "Could you wait, please?"

The brunette slowed down her walk, then stopped and turned towards them. Both then equally received their own portion of her bone-chilling glare. "Seems like you didn't remember what I told you yesterday about tours?" she said coldly.

Candy, after years of getting this look, just simply let it fly over her. _So much for **not** voicing her opinion... _She thought sarcastically in a funny voice to herself. "No, Flammy, I didn't forget. In case you hadn't noticed, we are _outside_ the hospital." She pointed out matter-of-fact as calmly as she could, not wanting to start any arguments. She knew she had to be quick, quick and straight to the point, no matter how unromantic it was, for the thing Flammy hated the most was beating around the bush. There were a lot of things Flammy hated the most.

"Sorry to stop you on your way, I know you are in a hurry. You see, my brother Tom is here because yesterday you left us so quickly I couldn't introduce you. And he really wanted to meet you."

"And that's the reason you are stopping me? You are right; you should be sorry for wasting my precious time." Flammy said with cold indifference and in exactly the same tone she added, "You'd better hurry. Today you are with me, on First Aid in the Emergency Room. I won't tolerate it if you will be even a second late."

With those last words still lingering on her lips, Flammy brushed them exactly like a day before.

"Flammy!" Candy called out but the senior nurse opened the door without even looking back and went inside. Expecting to see a deep disappointment on her friend's face, she turned and looked up at him. "What did I say? Ice Cube."

But to her surprise Tom grinned.

A very wide grin.

That stretched from ear to ear.

"I'm not feeling frozen at all." He declared brightly. "I thought it would be worse. Don't worry. At least I know what to expect the next time she sees me.

"Tom…?" she asked suspiciously, _wanting _for her ears to be mistaken. "Tell me that she _has_ scared you enough and that you _are _smart enough to give this up?"

If she believed that he would, her friend's words quickly disillusioned her. "I've never considered myself overly and unnecessarily smart." He replied. "I'm not bright enough to fully understand what crap I'm about to step into and it's much better this way, trust me."

He wanted to fool her or himself, but either way, she didn't fall for it. Tom, maybe, would never make for a university professor but he _was _smart enough to recognize his position and predict the outcome of his actions. And there were some 'action' yet to come; she could just smell it in the air and by his way-to-cheerful grin.

"And would you care to share your brilliant plan with me, so at least I may have the privilege of knowing when my head is going for the chop?"

"Nope; I don't have one yet." Tom patted her on her back in a brotherly gesture and like an older, caring brother would, he turned her around and motioned her for the entrance. "Now, go to work sis, or you will be late."

Candy couldn't explain it but she didn't believe his declaration. He had something on his mind already, she could swear it. She was simply being dismissed.

She wasn't part of the plan.

"Don't do anything silly, okay?" she pleaded.

With only his nod as a reply, she entered the building, leaving Tom standing outside in the front yard, still grinning. She climbed the stairs but she paid very little attention to where she placed her feet, fully focused temporarily on her thoughts. Tom's last words still rang in her ears. They were so ordinary, so natural to use when urging somebody to work… and so weirdly familiar to what she already heard today. Quickly and as if in a trance, she got changed, her hands instinctively repeating the everyday ritual of undressing, placing her belongings inside her locker and putting the uniform on without her even noticing. But her train of thoughts led to nowhere. Tom's last words made her a little uneasy and however she did recall that he said practically the same thing as Albert when he sent her to work, she failed to understand why. The more she tried to focus and recall why, the more confused she became. Shaking her head to get rid of the feeling, she left changing room. _Maybe it will come to me later. _She thought to herself, frowning. _Or, maybe it's unimportant and it's just my overly excited imagination…_

As she entered the nurses' room, she noticed that she was the last one to join the others that were already there. She wasn't late, she had made it with a few spare minutes but everyone was already here, shifting on their chairs and talking quietly to one another. She took one of the remaining empty chairs and did like the others; exchanged greetings and news whilst waiting for the morning briefing to begin. And when it finally began, the entire room fell absolutely quiet, leaving the space for Flammy to lead them on into another day and be given certain tasks.

She listened carefully, it was sometimes vital to know which doctor was going to be in charge during morning duty or where others could be found at any given time of the day. The well known names of her fellow colleagues mixed with those lesser known, those who belonged to the students being trained here, the tasks were mixed with additional information and questions. And finally, when the meeting was nearly over, she heard her name called out.

"Candy…" Flammy continued glancing up from the notepad in which she was writing something down, "…First Aid with me and Dr Malloy."

Candy knew that already, so she only nodded in confirmation. There was no acknowledgement of her nod; Flammy simply got back to her writing.

"Any more questions?" she asked, not looking up from the notepad.

Silence.

"That's everything then, all dismissed."

The room became alive with the hussle and bussle of everyone getting up, folding their chairs and moving them aside. The trainees discreetly asked the older nurses questions, the older nurses explained patiently; it was the usual, well known beginning to the day.

When everyone had gone their own way, Candy went back downstairs, to the Emergency Room. Her job as a nurse was to separate those patients who only had minor injuries from those who required to be seen by the doctor straight away. Doctor Malloy was already there, in the adjoining room, ready to receive his first patients of the day. So without waiting, she got down to work. It wasn't the first time that she had worked in First Aid so she quickly knew to sit down at the first of the steel tables, leaving the second for Flammy for when she got back later from her morning round on the Surgery wards.

The morning passed by quickly. Those who were very ill were immediately sent to be seen by doctor Malloy. She, on the other hand, was occupied with whatever and whoever she could attend to next. The patients varied in ages as well as in the type of injuries that they had and she was kept more than busy.

Flammy joined her an hour later, immediately receiving another patient at the second table and from that moment they worked separately, without exchanging even one word with each other.

At times, she would cast discreet glances at her senior colleague. Flammy's work was all well organized and meticulous, her movements calm and precise like a well oiled machine. Yet, despite her full attentiveness, she seemed detached. It seemed as if the patients she tended to weren't anything more than just medical cases, as if she only wanted to be seen as a cold professional and nothing more. But even knowing this and not really liking it, Candy couldn't help but to silently admire her colleague's precision in everything that she did.

One of Flammy's patients had a dislocated shoulder and with each minute that ticked by, it was causing him more and more pain. And with doctor Malloy busy with another patient's broken leg, it looked like it was going to take some time before he could be treated properly. It was then Flammy truly surprised her.

"Candy, could you help me?" she asked.

Not really understanding what she could do in such a case, Candy left the cleaning up of the mess on her table for later and walked over to her colleague. Flammy was bending over the patient, who sat on the examination couch with a painful grimace marring his face. To Candy's surprise he was already partially uncovered, with his grey-green shirt hanging loosely from his healthy shoulder and looked like he was ready for the treatment.

"I will do this." Flammy said decisively, pointing to the man's shoulder. "I just need you to press here."

Candy looked at her colleague meaningfully, hoping that she would understand her silent question. Setting a dislocated shoulder wasn't something nurses were entitled to do but she couldn't speak her reservations out loud and especially not in front of the patient's presence. He was perhaps in pain but he was a hundred percent conscious and now he was looking at them, from one to another and back again.

Flammy either didn't notice her look or she had deliberately ignored it. "Mr. Green…" she addressed the patient calmly, "I'm afraid this will hurt..."

"It can't be worse that what it already is." The man moaned loudly through gritted teeth. "Just do what you have to do."

"Flammy, wait!" Candy cut in quickly and pulling her surprised colleague aside so the patient couldn't hear them, she whispered, "Are you sure you know what you are doing?

The dark brown eyes glared at her coldly, like always.

"Are you disobeying my orders?" Flammy hissed.

"I am simply making sure that you know what you are doing." She repeated, not wanting to back off. "You could hurt him… or get in trouble _yourself_. That's not the usual job for a nurse…"

For a moment, there was a tense silence between them.

"I know what I'm doing." Flammy finally replied, her voice sounding surprisingly pacified. "I've done this before, many times."

Candy backed down. Flammy was perhaps a cold, unwelcoming she-devil but she never lied. "Okay," She agreed, nodding, "but at least let me use nitrous oxide before you do it. It will spare him from any unnecessary pain."

Flammy hesitated but only a moment. "Go." She nodded.

Candy hurried to the back room that served as a small storage area where, except for the supply of medications, a single tank of the gas was kept. She placed it on the trolley cart and pushed it back into the main treatment area.

"Mr. Green, I'm going to put this plastic mask over your mouth." She explained when she stood next to the settee. "It's an anaesthetic gas and I want you to breathe it in, in normal breaths."

"What, I will fall asleep like in those big surgeries?" the man frowned at her slightly.

"No, you will stay awake." She smiled back at him to ease his anxiety. "It will only reduce your sense of pain and make you feel better. It will fade quickly afterwards."

With the patient taking long, steady breaths, they didn't have to wait long for the effects to take hold. Soon, his face relaxed slightly and he began smiling to himself. It also didn't take long for his smile to turn into a giggle.

"Funny… So, so funny." He kept repeating, the sound of his voice muffled by his mask.

"What is, Mr. Green?" Candy asked.

"You are white." He giggled again.

Sure she was white, her entire uniform was white but she had yet to understand what was funny about the colour.

Using his good hand, the patient pointed at her badge with her name on it, then at her entire uniform and back to his greenish shirt.

"You are white." He repeated. "And I'm green. Caine Green. Green Cane and White Candy in white and green. So, so funny…!"

"Yes, yes, Mr. Green, whatever you say..." Candy confirmed, smiling involuntarily. Indeed, toying with their names did seem a little funny, though not even half as funny as it seemed to the man. But she understood where it came from. During her course, the teachers made them all try the gas out on themselves so they could empirically learn about the effects, and now, she perfectly understood the patient's behaviour. When she first tried it, she also couldn't stop laughing and talking, at least in its first stages.

She allowed the patient a few more breaths and removed the mask. The man was now dazed and it was the best time to proceed with any treatments.

Flammy didn't waste a second. The moment Candy set herself behind the patient and held his shoulder to stabilize it, she got a good hold of his forearm and began to slowly bend it inwards towards his chest. Then, with the same speed she rotated his entire arm outward and as it reached the position she required, she steadily pushed upwards.

There were no dramatic movements; everything was done firmly but slowly and fluidly. There were no piercing screams or the loud crack of bones either. The patient only moaned dully and as his bones gave way to the pressure, there was only a muffled click and a slight jerk and then the arm returned to its proper setting.

_My God, she even fixes broken bones with finesse of a clock master fixing a clock… _Candy thought with herself wasn't a novice; her knowledge in some fields and skills that she had gained over the years were was quite impressive too but Flammy's cold precision was a completely different matter. It seemed as if she was made for this job. _What did she have to go through to have such skills..?_

Flammy quickly took care of the patient by calling another nurse from the reception and arranging transport for him. Within minutes he was gone, taken into the ward to be further checked once the effect of the gas wore off.

And the wave of patients didn't stop flowing into the treatment room. One by one, patients arrived, leaving not one moment for a well deserved break. Candy was left with not even a spare moment to even try to ask the question that was swirling in her mind. Her raising curiosity about her colleague's past was being left unsatisfied.

Finally, she got her chance. It was about an hour later. It was only a temporary pause, usually appearing when the first crazy morning wave ceased. It was going to resume sooner or later but with most of the patient taken care of, the First Aid team was left with a little breather.

It was then that Candy gained her courage to initiate the conversation. "Flammy…" she began hesitantly. "Where did you learn this? I mean… setting the shoulder…"

Flammy didn't even bother to look up from above the trays that held medications and bandages that she was preparing for later. The silence stretched on for so long that Candy began to doubt that she will get a reply whatsoever. She walked to the cupboards to retrieve her own supplies when Flammy finally did replied. Her voice was clear but so quiet that she nearly missed it.

"In France."

A piece of the puzzle suddenly found its place.

"Was it very…?"

A knock on the door interrupted her inquiry. They both turned their heads to see one of the young trainee nurses from the reception coming in.

"We have another two patients. A woman with a fever and a man with a cut on his upper arm." She explained concisely. "And, Nurse White…" she added humbly, "He says he is your brother."

"My brother?" Candy repeated, surprised. And in the next second, she understood. There was only one person who would refer himself as her brother. "Get them in." she said, urgently.

The first one to enter was the woman and she was immediately taken aside by Flammy. Right after, Tom came in, pressing on a temporary dressing against his left upper arm and Candy pulled him to her table. "Tom, for goodness sake, what happened? Did somebody hurt you?" she inquired, full of worry.

Her friend sat on the chair with an audible howl of pain but before he replied, he glanced to his left, where Flammy was preoccupied doing the first check up with the woman. Only then he looked up at Candy and to her shock his grimace of pain turned into a quick smile. "Nope, nobody hurt me." He whispered. "I just had to get inside and this time, legally. Ready for everything, remember?"

The mystery of his words was soon solved as he let go of his left arm and plunged his left hand into his pocket. At first, when a little pocket knife was retrieved and discreetly displayed to her eyes from under the table, Candy didn't understand. But then, when Tom flicked the knife open and she spotted a red, bloody smudge on its blade, the understanding slowly began to sink in. Still not believing her eyes, she carefully removed the temporary dressing that he received in the waiting room and she saw the wound. After the initial shock, the worry that she had felt for him, so far, was instantaneously replaced by anger.

"_THIS_ is your 'brilliant' plan? She hissed through gritted teeth.

"Trust me; I know what I'm doing." Tom replied flippantly, folding the knife and quickly shoving it back in his pocket. "It isn't very deep anyway; a few stitches and I'll be fine."

"You are completely mad!" she managed to utter.

"Yes, over your lovely colleague. And look, she just finished with her patient." Ignoring her anger, Tom nodded discreetly towards the other table where Flammy was just helping the woman stand up and walk to the adjoining room. "Just make _her_ stitch me and let me do the rest."

Candy barely restrained herself from growling in irritation. _Damn you, Tom, did you have to get me into this? _She cursed in her mind, clenching her palms into fists. For a second, she understood what it would be like to have real brothers or sisters, really _annoying_ brothers or sisters and she promptly thanked God that she didn't have any.

"What's the matter, aren't you going to take care of your careless … brother?" asked a cold voice.

"I was going to but…" Candy replied immediately and then, hesitated. It took her a moment but she decided. No matter how angry she was, she couldn't let herself disappoint her friend. And so she decided to jump into deep water. "...but could _you_ put the stitches on him?" she pleaded finally. Her mind was working at its top speed at the moment. Excuse… She needed an excuse, a good excuse and fast! "I just… um... I got something in my eye and I can't see very well." She blurted out something completely random. "I don't want to mess this up…"

Covering her left eye and fluttering the right one to look more convincing, Candy turned to Flammy. But even with just the one, fluttering eye, she could _not_ see the disdainful look that her colleague gave her. Nonetheless; despite of the disdain Flammy probably had for her skills right now, she nodded and motioned Tom to come over to her table.

"What happened?" she asked with a cold professionalism.

"I cut myself with the knife."

As Tom sat, Flammy stood next to him. "Do you think you can remove your shirt by yourself?" she asked. "I will hold the dressing for you."

_Mistake, _Candy thought. Flammy had yet to discover the truth behind his so called injury, but now, still somehow oblivious to his true intentions, this inadvertently gave him an opportunity. An opportunity Candy believed he couldn't resist, had she judged him well. The last few minutes had once again forced her to revise her opinion about him and apparently, it seemed like her supposedly stable and predictable friend _was _capable of such crazy behaviour. She silently prayed that he wasn't as bold as she feared he was.

Of course, her prayers hadn't been heard. There would be no reprieve.

"I... I don't think so, not with one hand..." Tom said finally, after a moment of fruitless struggling with his buttons, "So, if you could, please..."

_Tom, when she finds out that is all just a deception..._ _you're dead, _it flashed through Candy's mind faster than a speeding bullet.

Not betraying any emotions whatsoever, Flammy waited until Tom once again pressed the dressing against his arm and then in, typical for her, controlled movements, reached out her hands and began undoing the buttons one by one. Once she was done with that, she gently pulled the shirt collar off his shoulder. With Tom's helpful shrug, the shirt slid off down his arm and carefully but ably, Flammy pulled the sleeve lower, slid the dressing through a quite wide tear in the fabric and finally, released his entire arm from the shirt. Once this was done, she quickly took a cotton cloth from the pile on the table and soaked it in a dish containing hydrogen peroxide. With the cloth ready, she turned again to Tom, removed the dressing and holding it just below the wound to stop the blood from flowing down his arm, she began to wipe the blood from the skin around the cuts. Her movements were quick and experienced and it seemed that at this speed, she would be done with the entire procedure of wiping, disinfecting and stitching within a blink of an eye. But that didn't happen. After three or four wipes, she froze and looked slightly pale. Candy knew without a doubt that her colleague must have just seen the _shape _of Tom's wound. She herself could still see it before her eyes; three cuts in total, slashed into his flesh, one long and two short. The slashes on their own, plain and insignificant had they been on separate areas – but together, they formed a significant shape of the letter 'F'.

But there were no shuddering or explosions at this discovery.

After a moment, Flammy simply leaned closer to the wound and still wiping the flowing blood away, she began examining the edges of the cuts and their depth. "The wounds are superficial; none of the arteries have been damaged. A few stitches and an injection against tetanus should do." She commented. Her voice could seem as cold as usual to anyone else but Candy heard a slight trembling tone in it. She couldn't believe it; it looked like Flammy _was_ moved after all.

Now, here was the question; was it good news or bad news?

It was hard to say, really. Flammy's hands didn't shake at all while she wiped the wound thoroughly with iodine, nor did they cease their methodical movements when Tom winced visibly on contact with the burning liquid. They didn't shake either when she applied the stitches on each single cut. The only indication that she wasn't completely emotionless was the clenching of her jaw, noticeable only to those who looked carefully enough.

_You could react somehow! _Candy urged in her mind to her colleague. _That poor guy carved your initial into his arm and you just stand there and say nothing?_

Straight away however, she scolded herself for getting distracted and silently cursed her never ending curiosity. Seriously, she was sure that there was something wrong with her sanity. She should be all out plain angry at Tom for dragging her into this, not cheer him on in his odd quest at courtship. She should be worrying more about how his behaviour would complicate her working relationship with Flammy and not about being curious to see her colleague reacting to this situation.

More and more eager to know…

Despite the rather disturbing duality of her mind, Candy couldn't help but to feel a slight disappointment when Flammy silently finished stitching, put her surgical instruments back on the cold steel tray and stood up. There were no indications that she was going to say anything.

But the game wasn't over just yet.

"Thank you, Flammy." Tom said with a smile in his voice as he stood up too. Only she had seen the repressed tiny grimaces of pain during the stitching, Flammy had never once looked up, but now, when it was over, he seemed to be relaxed again.

"I don't remember giving you permission to call me by my first name." Candy heard her colleague's calm voice. Flammy turned away from the table where she placed her equipment and faced her annoying patient again.

"Neither do I. Let's correct that then. Nice to meet you, Flammy…" Tom countered smoothly, looking down at the relatively small badge with her name on it that hung on her uniform, just above her left ample breast. "…Hamilton… I'm Tom Stevens. You can call me Tom."

Tom stretched out his hand in a friendly gesture.

Flammy ignored it, just like she had ignored his stares, right in her face, while she was working. Instead, she stared right back at Tom, with a clear intent of intimidating him with her usual bone-chilling gaze.

Begun the staring match has.

But Tom was apparently quite a good opponent; his own gaze was openly challenging… and sultry. He wasn't even trying to hide the admiration he had for Flammy's physical features. His was the look no woman could have mistaken it for anything else.

And this was when an impossible thing finally happened.

To her surprise, Candy saw a slight blush creeping up on her senior colleague's usually pale face.

"We are done here, _Mr. Stevens._" Flammy spoke finally. It was quite obvious that she was trying to keep her voice calm but the results wasn't as successful as she had wanted; the trembling note within it was even more audible than previously.

"We are?" Tom asked, faking deep disappointment. "Such a pity…" he shook his head, "Oh well then, since you had forbidden free _tours_ around the hospital, it looks like I'm going to have to come up with another reason to get back in."

"Candy…" Flammy addressed her without swaying her stare from Tom for even an inch, "arrange with reception, a consultation with Dr Zimmerman for your brother. People who wittingly harm themselves require to be taken care of by the psychiatrist."

"Candy…" Tom cut in quickly, his lips widening in a grin, "could you suggest your friend that a date with _her _would be much more pleasing that a date with the doc?" His grin was followed by something that felt completely inadequate to this place; he winked. "Half an hour with her and I would be cured in no ti..!"

"Candy…" Flammy cut in even quicker, interrupting Tom on his last word, "Tell your so-called brother that I have seen many soldiers without arms and legs and if he thinks that he might impress me because he had _cut_ himself for me, he is wrong."

"Candy…" Tom replied almost lazily, with the wide smile still glued to his face, "…please, tell your heartless friend here that if one cut isn't enough then I will return with another and another and then another...until she agrees to talk to me like a civilized woman, which I hope that she is."

"Candy..." Flammy hissed through her teeth, her blush deepening, "tell this pitiful _Casanova _that I have more important things to do than talk to morons!"

As she spoke, her usually cold voice became more heated and emotional and she nearly spat her last words out but she continued to stare at Tom right in his eyes. Candy only stood and watched the heated argument, unable to speak a word. Forget about her own reaction to Tom's crazy plan! What was going on with Flammy? – Now that was something to behold! They were both talking to her, no, wrong, _through _her but neither of them even looked at her! They were both eyeing each other up and down like a pair of fighting cocks!

So watch she did– not knowing whether to laugh or cry at the real ridiculousness of the situation. Tom, her friend, stood tall and straight like a rooster or a peacock in a mating season – but instead of showing off with a tail, he was proudly baring his naked chest to the visibly angry nurse before him. And hey – he _did _have reasons to be proud of his chest, Candy admitted to herself silently. His heavy muscles, built and maintained by the endless hours of hard work on the farm, marked distinct, firm lines under his skin and creating a view of any girl's secret dreams. So, perhaps the redness on her colleague's face wasn't _only_ caused by anger after all… Funny, considering how many hundreds of naked male chests that she has probably seen in her nursing life…

Finally though, after a very long minute of silent staring, Tom broke eye contact with Flammy and reached for his forgotten shirt. Interesting – now he had _no trouble_ with putting it back on and buttoning it up. Miraculously, his _injured_ arm was now very much capable of moving and rotating quite freely. Flammy noticed that too. She must have realized that his initial inability was only an act and she had been fooled, she had her hackles up.

"Candy," Tom said lightly into the air, as he walked towards the door, "tell your stubborn friend that I will be waiting in the park outside the hospital until she comes there. If I won't get the answer within an hour, I will come back to her for more stitches."

"You wish!" Flammy shouted out sharply to Tom. Tom walked out the door without making any further comments and only whistled cheerfully as he walked away. She then turned back towards a stunned Candy. "What?" she nearly barked. "What are_ you_ staring at?"

Candy knew that to reply right now was an absolutely unwise thing to do – and she wisely remained silent. Words weren't necessary; she could see how tense and agitated her colleague was. Flammy wasn't one to express herself openly but even she wasn't impeccable. Her moves were still quick as usual but now he hands were shaking slightly as if nervous, as she cleaned the already perfectly clean table.

"Go and see if there are any more patients in the waiting room." Flammy directed. Her voice was again cool but Candy wasn't convinced at all by it. That argument had left a deep shade of pink that still adorned Flammy's cheeks and neck. _She's recovered so quickly. _She thought. _Or she just pretends to have recovered…_

There were more patients. Not as many as in the morning but still enough to keep them busy. But even though they didn't speak another word to each other, Candy couldn't stop thinking about colleague's facial expressions during the argument. She couldn't remember her being ever so lively. She was angry, even rude but surely not uninterested. _Maybe even an Ice Cube has fire…_ she reflected back.

Then came another moment when they were alone again. The hour that Tom had given Flammy was nearly up and even if Flammy didn't take his words seriously, she did. And she wasn't going to let him do any more stupid things to himself.

"Flammy…" Candy began carefully, and when her colleague glanced up at her from above her table, she continued, "Are you going to go and talk to him?"

Flammy's look could freeze hell right about now. "I thought I made myself clear? I'm not interested in talking to idiots!"

"Tom isn't an idiot!" she protested lively. At end of the day, if there was any person she would defend, it would definitely be Tom. A second later she knew how silly her words sounded when one considered Tom's recent behaviour. "Alright, fine, he _acted_ like a complete idiot," she admitted, "but he isn't one, I can assure you. He just really wanted to meet you."

"What a great reason!" Flammy snorted. "And this is why I'm supposed to agree? To go out and see a nutcase?"

"And why on Earth _not_?" Candy retorted. "He perhaps went nuts, but nuts _about you_! Now, how many men are completely crazy about you from the first look? I'm sure you get dozens of them on a daily basis and one more is only just a little nuisance…"

"Watch your mouth!" Flammy interrupted her little sarcastic tirade. "You seem to be forgetting who you are talking to. I am your supervisor..."

"Oh, be whoever you want!" Candy had enough and didn't care anymore about choosing the right the words she was saying. "Beyond this oh so very important position of yours you are still a woman inside. I'm not blind. I saw how you reacted to him..."

"You saw nothing!" Flammy snapped back sharply. "And why am even bothering talking to you anyway?"

"Because nobody else wants to talk to you?" Candy shouted out. "Because you like pushing absolutely everyone away? And don't think I am enjoying this! I'm only doing what he's been nagging me to do since this morning and I certainly don't like this anymore than you do!"

Their very much heated exchange was interrupted by the arrival of yet another patient. He was only passing through as the nurses from reception immediately marked his case as one for Dr Malloy, but even those few short moments of his presence in the room, from when he had entered to until he disappeared into the doctor's treatment room were enough to cool them both down.

"Usually Tom is just a normal, rather easily predictable guy who says what he thinks and if he acted out of his normal self today… well, that speaks for itself, don't you think?" Candy resumed her efforts in trying to convince Flammy; however, now in much calmer voice. "Why don't you just go and talk to him? He is not going to bite you. And if you decide afterwards that he isn't worthy of your precious time, don't worry, he probably won't bother you again because he is leaving later today."

Flammy winced. "Today?" she asked quickly.

"Oh, so there is life within you?" Candy noted with a slight hint of sarcasm. "Yes, he is leaving today. He came here for only a few days, for my engagement party."

The moment of silence seemed longer this time.

"You got engaged?"

"Yes I did but that's beside the point. Flammy, do yourself a favour and see him, ok? I know you are complete strangers but I am a woman, I've seen how you reacted to him; don't lie and say you don't care. Just one chat and no matter what the outcome will be, you will at least know you didn't lose your chance because of silly arguments."

"You talk like you really care!"

"No I don't, actually." Candy shook her head. "I just know from my own experience how it is to _almost_ miss the chance."

"Almost?"

"Almost. Because fortunately for myself, I had the courage to try." Candy stated firmly. "And I don't regret my decision, even for a second."

Flammy didn't reply and Candy, knowing that everything that could have been said, was said, walked out to call for another waiting patient. Once again, tending to the patients needs kept them both from even looking at each other. But when the patients were gone, Candy was surprised to hear Flammy call her name.

"Go and tell your crazy Casanova of a brother that I will have a few minutes to spare around three o'clock. And I want to see you back here immediately. Am I making myself clear?"

Candy restrained her smile.

"Absolutely." And with that, Candy dashed out the room.

O O O

It was very late afternoon when the car stopped outside the hospital gates. No one came out of the vehicle – it was there to pick up an extra passenger who eagerly jumped inside.

A thud of the door and they were on their way.

"You wouldn't believe how relieved I am that I managed to get the rest of the evening off!" Candy exclaimed, making herself comfortable on the back seat. "Now, please do tell me, how was your day?"

As they drove through central Chicago, she listened to the stories about her guests' activities. They did have lots of fun – just like she had expected.

When the car stopped at LaSalle Street Station, Albert and Tom helped the older women exit and then took care of their luggage. It was now significantly a whole lot bigger than when they arrived three days ago; for the presents alone, they had to buy another big travelling bag. But with the additional help of two bell boys from the station who quickly transported the suitcases from the entrance onto the platform, it took a matter of only a few minutes.

"I can't believe you are leaving already." Candy sighed when the luggage was neatly tucked in the waiting train and they were left with only with a few minutes for their farewells. "Time has passed so quickly!"

"True." Miss Pony admitted. "But let's just hope that it will run as quickly until our next meeting!"

"You always seem to see the brighter side of everything, Miss Pony." Candy couldn't help but smile. "Now, you haven't even departed yet and I can't wait until I see you next time!"

"We've spent three wonderful days with you!" Sister Maria added. "One more and we would have never left!"

Everyone laughed warmly.

As both women turned their attention to Albert for a moment, Tom leaned closer to Candy. "You will see us way too soon." He said teasingly. "Just don't forget to send the invitations!"

Candy eyed him up and down in a sisterly manner.

"See, she didn't eat me alive."

"I didn't say anything."

"You don't have to!"

Here, Candy had to smile. During her mentioned little break, Flammy indeed went out to see Tom and when she came back, it appeared she was a little somewhat distracted. To others, including herself, Flammy was as cold as usual, but there were many times that she had stopped doing whatever she was and for a few seconds, stared blankly out the window. She would of course quickly get back to work, only to get lost in thought every now and then.

"So I see." She smirked. "How was it?"

"Long story. At first, I thought she would punch me right in my face but as you can see, I still have all my teeth, none of them broken..." Tom grinned widely. "…but later she calmed down."

The sharp sound of the whistle tore through the air, announcing that the train was ready to depart.

The women hurried inside and Tom quickly hugged Candy, once again, easily lifting her off the ground. "I'm not good at explaining everything, but I will write to you, okay?"

"I will be waiting impatiently for your story." she murmured into his ear. "And just for the record: you owe me!"

"I owe you _big_ time." Tom replied half jokingly, half serious and put her back on her feet. In two long steps he reached the metal steps of the train and jumped inside.

A few more seconds passed before the conductor's last whistle announced an immediate departure and almost immediately the train jerked forward slightly. As the engine worked, the train picked up momentum, slowly at first, then faster and faster as it began moving along the platform. Three pairs of hands kept waving from the open windows until they could no longer been seen as the train began to follow the tracks, bending slightly and covering them from view. But it wasn't until the train disappeared completely that Candy stopped waving.

"It was good to have such guests at the mansion." Albert said softly. "At least there was some life there."

"Yeah… It felt like home…" Candy agreed sadly, instinctively searching for his hand. It felt as if the bright holiday was now over and grey reality was about to take its place. Life was going to resume its normal course – minus the fact that they were rid of their former freedom in regards to their meetings. "Will I see you in the next few days?" she asked.

"Sure you will." Albert assured her. "I spoke with Aunt Elroy before we left and she wants you to come to the mansion whenever you can."

"Really?"

"Yes. She presses me to let her take care of the organization of the wedding, but as we will be deciding about most of the issues, your presence will be necessary too."

"Oh great…" Candy moaned, "It was supposed to be a nice and quiet wedding; just to two of us with our closest of family and friends… I can imagine her vision! She will invite the entire city!"

"Don't get yourself too stressed over it." Albert squeezed her hand gently. "We won't let her."

"Promise?"

"Promise. It's my wedding too, remember? We are both in it so it's two to one, she won't win against us."

Candy smiled with gratitude at his joke. Hand in hand, they began walking back towards the main hall of the station. "Still…" she said, "I wish it was over already." She felt Albert's arm shaking slightly and when she looked up, she knew why; he was chuckling quietly.

"What?"

"Someone is in a hurry to become my wife, huh?" he replied.

Candy curled her lips into a half-mocking, half-loving smile. "I could even do it tomorrow!"

"My, my…" Albert chuckled again. "It hasn't even been one day and you already want to speed up the wedding because you can't bear to go without me kissing you…"

Candy blinked, surprised. "Without kissing...? What are you talking ab..." she inquired, stopping her sentence short and looking completely puzzled. A busy day and all the fuss with Tom and Flammy didn't let her have time to even_ think _about the conversation that they had this morning, but now it all came back to her. "Hold on, hold on..." she carried on fervently, "So… you were serious in the morning?"

Albert stopped before going inside the hall and looked down at the girl with the smile. His grumpy mood this morning had eased off during the day and now he could easily join in the usual playful teasing from her. However, the more he thought about it, the more he considered his impulsive idea as an interesting thing to carry on with. "Very serious." He replied. "And the more I think of it, the more I like the idea."

"I don't like it at all!"

"Too bad." he shrugged. "I can already imagine how eager you are going to be after these two months."

"Keep dreaming."

"…and how happy you will be to receive the first kiss from your husband…"

"Cad!"

"…and the rest of the package later on…"

"Sadist!"

"Quite."

Candy raised her eyebrows. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I absolutely adore you when you're angry."

"You will pay for this!" Candy murmured, wagging her finger at him. She tried to walk away but he held her hand tighter and roughly pulled her back to him. For a moment, he held her tightly against his frame and he once again felt how badly he wanted his little, untamed woman.

"Oh, I will pay, I will." he promised in a lowered sexy voice. "I can't wait to pay…and I know you can't wait for me to do so..."

Candy kept looking into his eyes bravely, despite the treacherous heat that crept up her cheeks. _Damn you, Candy, will you ever stop blushing at his words? Why are you acting like a teenager, you, a grown woman? His ever reliable 'stimulant therapy', right... Damn him too! Of course I can't wait..._

"You are so awfully full of yourself, aren't you?"

"I am. And now, sweetheart," he finished, letting go of her, "let your bigheaded man drive you home before you bite him for his arrogance."

Candy watched him walk away and after a few moments, she followed him to the car, stomping all the way.

_You are **so **going to pay me for this, my Prince. _She promised herself. _I am **so **not giving up easily with this..._

O O O

* * *

Footnotes:

*38* Curiosity shop – today known as an antique shop (the legal definition of what an antique was wasn't created until the late 30s)


	25. FRAGMENTS OF TIME

**CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: FRAGMENTS OF TIME**

.

.

'_Lakewood, 21__st__ of May 1923_

.

'_Hi, 'Mistress of the Yielding Lasso'!_

_How has the month of May been treating you so far? I don't know how you can bear with so many things at the same time, with your life, your work, and now with preparations for the wedding…No, no, I give up. The highlife just isn't for me._

_No big surprises on my end, all the same, you know, a bumpkin's life is so easy to predict. Sorry for the delay, I didn't get the chance to write to you any earlier, we've been very busy recently helping Jimmy. Mr. Cartwright recently bought some more meadows for his cattle but because it's in a direct neighborhood with the railways, he was obligated to build fences along the railway track. That was the only way to stop his cattle from uncontrollably walking onto the track. I don't know what it is about those cows with those tracks, by the way… They have plenty of fresh grass below, but no, they would still rather climb onto the camber and just lie down right across the tracks. It's as if they were loved resting on metal and wood…_

_Alright, okay, stop jumping up and down and yelling; I know you're dying to know. I was just getting to that. _

_Before she went out to see me, I spent an hour in the park, thinking about what happened in the treatment room. And do you know what? The more I thought about it, the more I began realizing what I have actually gone and done. I was so sure that if she really did decide to come out and see me, she would probably kill me on the spot… but yet, I was more terrified if she didn't even bother to turn up… You have no idea how many times I had thought about just walking away! But I couldn't. I just couldn't. Whether she would turn up and attempted to kill me or didn't bother to show up, I had to stay and find out. I couldn't take the risk that she would actually come and I wasn't there…_

_But as you know, she did turn up. Or, more like, she __**marched **__her way towards me. And yes, we talked. I guess it wasn't exactly 'talking' in the true meaning of the word… She actually threatened me like a schoolboy who needed to be scolded. I can't tell you word for word exactly what she said but it went something like this: "Who the hell do you think you are to make such a scene at my workplace? This is not some cheap theater, it is a hospital! I won't let anybody treat me in this way, do you hear me?" on and on, on and on, in the same style and the more angry she got, the more smiled. I have no idea why – I just __**had to.**__ Something was pushing me to act like I didn't care._

_You say she is an ice cube? You're wrong. She just needed the right spur, like a horse. I think that by being silent, I had found just the right one. "Well, will you speak up?" she had demanded impatiently as I got up. I told her "I don't know about you, but I was taught that civilized people first introduce each other first. And we yet have to do so. Tom Stevens." I had held my hand out to her and of course she just stood there, staring at me. "Tom Stevens." I insisted. I had this funny feeling inside me, as if there were two Toms: one barefacedly holding out his hand in greeting while the other me wanted to run away_ _as fast and as far as he could, preferably straight back to Michigan and scream out in terror all the way there... My goodness… There's really something about her that can scare even the devil… _

_You would never understand the relief I felt when she had finally stretched out her hand too. "Flammy Hamilton, if you must." We sat on the bench and started chatting, awkwardly at first but later on, it was a little more relaxed. She asked me how it happened that I had never been to Chicago before. I simply told her that I had never been, then I asked her was Chicago the city of her birth place and if she had gone away to other cities. She wasn't really open at first but it seemed she had relaxed a bit. It wasn't much she said about herself – all I know is that she had volunteered to join the army in France. And again, one part of me wanted to say; 'fantastic!' but the other half, the rational one, made me shut up. There's nothing fantastic about the war and I didn't want her to dislike me for such a ridiculous comment..._

_The time passed way too fast to me and her little break was over too soon. "I have to get back to work." She said, and that's when I got up too. "I'm glad you came to see me." "Well," she replied "If I hadn't, you'd probably come back with another cut. I gave in to your emotional blackmail."_

_I'm glad that she didn't know that I was bluffing about cutting myself again. Those cuts hurt like crazy but it wasn't just about the pain itself. Throughout the years on the farm, I had been in minor accidents here and there, that's normal… but deliberately cutting your own skin is a different story and I don't think I would be able to do that ever again. I don't even understand how all these surgeons could do that on a daily basis…_

_Anyway, the cuts have almost healed by now, to my disappointment. Believe it or not but I wanted the scar to be visible so that it reminds me every day of that day. Silly, huh? But anyway, she was just too good at her stitching because the scars are all healed and have faded…_

_Well, that was it. When she got back to work, I left the hospital grounds and walked to the centre, as I mentioned to you that day, I wanted to buy something. I went to this curiosity shop. My father is a huge fan of Arthur Conan Doyle – so I bought him a pipe stylized like the one Sherlock Holmes had used. It's never left his sight since I gave it to him! You should see him, sitting at the table every evening with the smoldering pipe, just like the famous Detective!_

_As for Flammy – I have decided to write to her, whether she likes it or not. Tell me – is it possible to send the mail to the hospital's address? I, like an idiot, forgot to ask you before we left._

_That's it for now. This must be the longest letter that I've written since I finished school. And all because of a girl…_

_Father sends his love for you and Annie_

_Tom'_

_._

_._

'_Chicago, 28__th__ of May 1923_

_._

_Hi Tom! You've finally replied! I'd thought you had forgotten. _

_As briefly as I can: _

_1. Ever since my birthday party, the world has been turned totally upside down. My job is as usual, nothing new to tell. Well, one thing is new. Just like I told you when you were here, I am now almost constantly assigned to the surgery teams. It is because of my specialization. That's what Dr Jacobs (let's call him my promoter) wanted from the very beginning: to have someone there to take some weight of anesthesia off the operating doctor's shoulders. I am the first one to do so but I already know that there will be more like me._

_You have no idea how terrified I was when I administered the full anesthetic for the first time! Dr Jacobs assisted me at the beginning but now I'm on my own. It's not that complicated though - if you only know what to do. And thanks to this change, my life is more stabilized, because planned surgeries are scheduled only for the daytime; at night the hospital uses the surgery theaters only for emergencies. Good bye night shifts! I do have moments when I miss contact with the patients on the wards… I think I will even miss the specific silence during the night shifts… _

_2. Wedding preparation… well, let's put it this way: too many cooks spoil the broth. _

_The most important points we had to arrange were: _

– '_WHEN' (attention, attention, we already know the exact date) _

– '_WHAT' (the menu, the music, decorations, etc.) _

– '_WHO' (again I ask: why so many guests?) _

– '_WHERE' was skipped as it's clear that the reception will be held in the mansion. _

_There were no problems in choosing the menu. Choosing the musicians was little bit more painful, due to the differences in preferences (I will spare you the details for now, you will hear it for yourself later) but the last point, namely going through the list of the guests to be invited… That wasn't funny at all. Aunt Elroy didn't even want to listen to our wishes about having a private wedding reception. Gosh, the atmosphere was at boiling point! Finally we had made a compromise: the wedding ceremony will take place in the chapel, witnessed by the guests invited ONLY BY US (read as: closest friends & family, in this exact order) and reception will be held for the guests from both lists (I have no idea how this house is going to contain such a large number of people… I think we have to extend the mansion and fast!) _

_3. But of course I was waiting for the news about "Casanova's date with the Ice Cube"! I know I shouldn't but I was insanely curious about the results of your meeting with her already on that day. I have never seen her as lively as she was during her argument with you and I just knew something was up between you two! What you had only briefly mentioned at the station only made my curiosity even worse…and then you remained silent for two long weeks! How could you leave me hanging on for so long without knowing anything for sure?_

_Okay, I'm calm now. It's good to know the entire story. Sorry I tried to discourage you at the beginning – I thought you were only messing around. I just couldn't imagine Flammy being an object of your fascination, of __**anyone's**__ fascination. You met her only briefly but I reckon it should be more than enough for you to understand that she doesn't seem the type… I say 'doesn't seem', not 'isn't' – because it was entirely my mistake to assume anything about her without having any certain knowledge about her. That day taught me not to categorize people._

_I'm sure you would like to hear something about her? Well, I can't lie to you and say that she is all head over heels for you because she isn't. She is still her usual, cold self, the same old Flammy that she has always been. She doesn't walk around smiling to her thoughts nor has she all of a sudden become all romantic. She is still tough, I told you. I think I'm the only one who knows that there's a human under that cold shell. She doesn't show much emotions but she is just in total control of it, I think… She can't fool me anymore; I had seen how she reacted to you and your 'charms'. And I can see sometimes (once again, I'm the only one who is aware of what to look out for) how she stops by the window in the North-East corridor (for no reason at all!) and for a moment looks outside. Obviously, I don't follow her every step, for we have completely separate duties but I do get glimpses of her every now and then. She is just a woman after all, like all of us. A tough one but a woman nevertheless. I will never again call her 'Ice Cube'. Flammy is just Flammy now. And I wish you the best of luck with her. You're going to need it. Point for you she agreed to meet with you – but don't you go thinking that the fight has been won! Long way for you to go, big bro!_

_4. As for writing to her – not only __**could**__ you write to her; you __**should! **__Getting to know her would be hard enough if you were living here – let alone that you both live so far apart! Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sway you from your decision – I just want you to clearly see your position right from the start. I'm just concerned about what you said to me about your previous love interest, that she wanted to move to the city. The thing is – Flammy __**lives**__ in the city. If you succeed with her, if it is to be – then it __**will**__ be an issue; she's here and you're there, in Michigan. You need to be aware of that, remember._

_For now, if you haven't changed your mind yet, write to her. I think you can use the hospital's address, just write Flammy Hamilton, Chief Nurse of Surgery Dept., St. Camille's Hospital, __2875 W 19th St__, __and S Marshall Boulevard, Chicago, IL... They always deliver our mail to the reception, we have "mail pigeon-holes" there (it's a shelf with all the staff's names on) But I can't guarantee you what she is going to do with your letter…_

_6. I was supposed to be brief, huh? _

_My love to you and your Father – Candy'_

_P.S. I read your letter once again, this time slower, to make sure that I didn't miss anything… and I have problems with keeping my jaw from falling onto my lap. Was it just me, or did you at some point compare Flammy to a __**horse**__?_

_._

_._

'_Lakewood 4__th__ of June 1923_

_.  
_

_Hi Sis, _

_Along with this letter to you I also sent a postcard to Flammy. You know, just greetings and stuff, to remind her we had met. I'm not going to send love letters to her from the get go; I think it's better to gain her friendship and trust, step by step. What do you think? _

_As for your postscriptum… ha, ha, ha… you have noticed that well. You see, amongst our workers, we have one old, experienced cowboy. He is still a bachelor but had been a big womanizer in his time. And he always says that the women are very much like horses. There are some mild, easy to train horses, some hot-headed, wild ones, and some that are seemingly unresponsive to any command except in a cold, distant way. So, according to his theory, I guess you would be like a wild, hotheaded horse and Flammy is one of those cold ones. He (Lewis) is convinced that like with horses, women only need the right spur to behave in the way that men want them to. Well, he kinds of makes me laugh with his jokes…_

_By the way… Thank you for telling me how she is doing. You are right; being so far apart from each other won't be easy. I don't know why I always end up being interested in girls who prefer life in the city… maybe it's my fate, I don't know. But that's why I'm so grateful for the news about her. Even from afar, I can still imagine her, at work, next to that window that you mentioned… Silly, but I too sometimes look above the horizon – only facing South-West…_

_Somebody said once – if thoughts had wings, we would meet each other half way. The question is – do her thoughts really fly in a North-Easterly direction?_

_Tom'_

_._

_._

'_Chicago 7__th__ of June 1923_

_.  
_

_Tom…_

_As I'm writing, the steam is still coming out my ears and I'm writing after quite a long time from calming down. Two things: call me a hot-headed horse again and you can forget about any news about Flammy! And the other thing: never, ever mention such a thing to Flammy, if you value your life! If you think you know her anger – you are wrong. She wouldn't steam up like me – she would just coldly cut you out of her life before you could even have the chance to really step in it! Knowing her, I can assure you that she would never, ever again, give you even a tiny chance to even apologize!_

_One thing you need to understand about working women, some of them do it because they have to. And some, because they chose to, because they wanted to. That's their __**choice,**__ their way of living. And it's their right to do so. Women can be independent, they can make their own choices without asking anybody for permission. We have had equal rights since 1920, in case you haven't noticed. Long gone is the era of 'maintaining women so they behave like men want them to'. The 'right spur', that's a good one! Lucky for this Lewis or whatever his name is that I am not there right now – I would have so taught him a lesson or two! _

_And by the way… since he is oh-so-very experienced with women – why is he still a bachelor? Maybe none of his women wanted to deal with someone with such a __chauvinistic__ point of view for longer than a day? Ever thought of that?_

_I've got to run to the post office to send this letter. I hope it will leave with afternoon's mail. Hopefully, it will arrive quickly enough for the steam to rise from the pages as soon as you open the envelope…_

_Steamy Candy_

_._

_._

'_Chicago 10__th__ of June 1923_

_.  
_

_Alright, fine; since the steam was let out in the previous letter, I can get back to the point._

_Firstly; as for the way you decided to approach Flammy – I think in her case, that was the best choice. Friendship is always a good start, she won't feel besotted, but don't forget to send some signs to let her know that she isn't just a mere acquaintance to you. Don't get crazy with bouquets of flowers, but something small would do nicely… I'm sure you will think of something, your ideas and plans are smashing… _

_Secondly – I'm also sure my letter will not be the only one that you'll receive. The other one will be from your other 'sister'. Annie and Archie are proudly announcing to whoever wants to listen (or not) that they have just become parents. Their sweet boy was born on time, on the 8__th__ of June, the day after I had sent my last letter. I had already seen him when we visited Annie in the hospital… He has black hair after Annie and carries two beautiful names: Patrick Alistair.__He was named after two of their dearest friends, they say. Patty is all over the moon because his first name was given to him after her. She is happy to be his God Mother although sometimes she gets a little sad too. I think this is because the second name was given after her lost love (Archie's deceased older brother, I think you met him when you were teenagers). One of Archie's cousins from his father's side will be a God Father but I haven't met him yet. Oh and one more thing. They will have support not just from Annie's parents but from Archie's too. They are back in town and are planning to stay for a few months._

_Also, because of little Patrick's arrival, Albert firmly rejected the idea of organizing a big birthday party for himself. He didn't want to take away the attention from the little one. "What is so special about the twenty ninth birthday anyway?" he had said, "My thirtieth, next year, now that will be an entirely different matter; this year – a nice, family dinner would do nicely." And family dinner we had. _

_That's it for now. Hope to hear from you soon – Candy._

_._

_._

_15__th__ June 1923 Stevens Farm, Lakewood to Cornwell Estate, through South Chicago Mail: _

_Dear Annie and Archie STOP Congratulation on your new born son from me and my Father STOP Tom STOP_

_._

_._

'_Chicago 4__th__ of July 1923_

_.  
_

_Hi Tom, _

_Why are you so quiet all of the sudden?_

_What are you sending to Flammy? I see her sometimes receiving her mail and some of the letters looked quite large and heavy! _

_Preparations are in full gear, invitations have already been sent (they should arrive any day now), my wedding dress is almost ready and so is Albert's tail-coat, all reservations and orders have been confirmed… Phew… Forgive me for being brief, I am writing on my lunch break and I am already on my way to send this letter. _

_ Candy _

_._

_._

'_Lakewood 9__th__ of July 1923_

_.  
_

_Hi Candy, _

_Sorry, I was busy at the farm. Okay, lying now, I was petrified to write to you after you screamed at me in the previous letter…_

_Sorry if you got offended, I really didn't mean to. You have to understand; when a man works most of his life on the farm and all he sees is either cattle or his beloved horses, he __**will **__at some point start thinking about life from a horseman's point of view. Living with horses, we need to think like them, understand them, behave like them – so then everything else we see is from this point of view too. And don't get me wrong – in some way, for a horseman, to compare a woman to his favorite horse is like the best compliment he could ever give! Okay, I admit, Lewis had perhaps gone a little bit too far with this 'spur' thing, but again, it's the very specific sense of humor that we, horsemen share. We get to see each other more often than we see other people from town – no wonder then, when we have discussions about women (no detail this time, this is totally a man thing) – we instinctively use the most natural thing for us to compare, which is the horse. Hard to understand for outsiders, who never tried to live like us, I know. _

_That's all about excusing myself… Sorry again…_

_As for the object of our interstate discussion, I mean Flammy… You won't believe it… she replied to my letter, she really did! And not just once! My first letter included only a postcard with greetings, in the second one I wrote: for the prettiest nurse in St. Camille's Hospital and inside I put … a four-leaf clover. I don't know what got into my mind. She replied that she has never heard of Casanova courting a woman with a clover before… and I struck while the iron was hot__. __Now, I send her a flower within each letter (I write to her once every three days). It's just one of those common flowers that are now blossoming among the fields and meadows. First I press it inside a book (do you remember how Miss Pony taught us that?) and then I slip it in between the pages of the letter._

_Speaking of big packages__…__She had asked me in one of her letters what I did for a living. I asked our blacksmith to make miniature horseshoe and carve it nicely and I sent it instead of an answer. I explained in following letter that among other things we are also breeding horses. I'd like to show her more but I don't know how._

_Hugs – Tom _

_P.S. Since it took me two days to finish this letter, in the meantime the invitation has arrived. Eighteenth of August, you say? But didn't you say earlier that it was going to be at the end of July?_

_._

_._

'_Chicago 14__th__ of July 1923_

_.  
_

_Big brother, _

_What have you done to Flammy? Since I have started working mostly on the day shifts, I have more opportunities to see her before we start. Before, she would have gone straight to the nurse's room for the morning briefing and then for her usual round; now the first thing she does is to go to reception to check in on her mail, with no emotional expression on her face, of course…If I didn't know her better, I would have said she was expecting a letter from someone… _

_Albert had caught me talking to myself about her once. He knows that __Flammy and I are not best of friends and her name wouldn't just come up for no apparent reason at all and he asked me what I was up to. I had to mention you and explain everything, I hope you will forgive me. He liked the idea of sending the horseshoe! Then I asked him how he would describe you and your everyday life in a good way but he just gave me this enigmatic smile of his and said that this is something one needs to see firsthand to fully understand. He didn't explain any further and we didn't bring up this matter anymore. _

_As for the date of the wedding… long story. Do you remember how I mentioned in my first letter that Aunt Elroy was in charge of a few things? Well, she had very fiercely insisted in delaying it for at least a month, two would be better, three was best. We managed (after a long and exhausting battle) to shrink it down to three weeks. No more waiting, I said and Albert backed me up. So, the 18__th__ it is then._

_There's another reason. Since she insisted in delaying it, we finally agreed but on one condition: we will choose the date. And we did. We wanted to have the wedding on the 18__th__ because it will be exactly a year from the day we decided to be together. I guess we are both sentimental fools... _

_Annie had some doubts though. She feels great, she can easily attend to the party but she didn't want to leave her little son for so long. We both assured her she can take him with her as we have plenty of rooms here. His nanny can take care of him all night and Annie can go and see him any time she wants to. _

_Lots of hugs _

_Candy'_

_P.S. I forgive you for the comment about the horse._

_. _

_._

'_Lakewood 20__th__ of July 1923_

_.  
_

_Hey sis, _

_You are so not going to believe this. Guess who visited us two days ago? Albert himself, in the flesh. Can you guess why? No? Well I will tell you anyway: he only came for a few hours and brought his camera with him. He took a dozen of photos of me when I was working, when I'm herding cattle, when I'm training and later feeding a young stallion from our stables. He said I can either keep them or send them one by one to some girl if there was one…Do you understand now this 'enigmatic smile of his'? He simply gave me a clue of how to show Flammy what I do every day. Could you tell me where this lad is taking such ideas from? And how is it possible that he still finds the time to help his friends so close to his own wedding? My respect for him is already higher than the ceiling of our barn and it's still growing… You are a really lucky girl…_

_Tom _

_P.S. I have already bought the tail-coat. Argh... I feel weird in such clothes... _

_P.P.S. I am going to send one of the photos to Flammy. I will start with the one taken during training. _

_._

_._

'_Chicago 28__th__ of July 1923_

_.  
_

_Hi Tom, _

_Please say no more. He never ceases to amaze me too…You think you already know him through and through, and then, hello, there he is, with a new thing to surprise you with… _

_Tom, you have no idea what I had witnessed…I had a one hour break between surgeries and I went to the changing room to take a shower. After that I changed and I was just about to leave when I heard a noise and realized I wasn't alone there. I went back to changing room and discreetly opened the door…Flammy was sitting at the table (we have one, tiny coffee table near the window). She must have received one of your letters that day because she was holding a photo… and she was smiling! I'm sure she didn't notice me. I know, because her smile seemed to be one of those born at times when you are alone…I closed the door. If she wants to wear her mask, so let it be; maybe it will fall off one day by itself… The surface has been already scratched._

_Lots of hugs. Candy'_

_._

_._

'_Lakewood 5__th__ of Aug 1923_

_Sis, _

_I have just received a letter from her… As usual, she writes a bit sarcastically… Tell me, why am I getting the impression that she is lonely? And I don't mean not keeping in contact with her family… She simply seems to be unable to open up to another person. I'm not good at judging people's emotions at all but I do have this feeling like there was a little, scared girl inside her, hiding away from any hurt… Why do I feel like this? I'm just a simple guy and analyzing a women's personality is foreign to me. Damn; even the word 'analyzing' had been foreign to me so far! Why then I get these feelings about her. Why do I feel the urge of knowing her, understanding her? This need in me kind of scares me. _

_And I keep asking myself - how can I make sure if I'm right? And if I'm right, if she really __**is**__ lonely - how do I get to her hidden self?_

_One thing I know for sure; I have to see her when I come to Chicago, I have to! _

_I have some bad news for you. Mr. Cartwright can't go anywhere with his asthma and my Father broke his leg last week and can't come either. There will be four of us though: Miss Pony, Sister Maria, Jimmy and I. _

_Don't reply, as your letter might not reach me. See you on the 18__th__ of Aug. _

_Tom'_

_._

_._

'_New York, 9__th__ of Aug 1923_

_.  
_

_ Dear Fellow 'Traveler',_

_ As the news about your imminent wedding finally reached me in New York, I'd like to express the following:_

_Didn't I say so?_

_Didn't I say so?_

_Didn't I say so?_

_So I see you actually took my advice that I gave you back in the Congo._

_Congratulations._

_First-rate hag'_

_P.S. I hope you understand why I can't attend your wedding. As you read this, I'm probably already in Paris._


	26. A BIG DAY

**AN/ Guys,**

**I'm so very sorry for the extremely long break. What can I say? Life. Only now we are slowly catching up with the chapters. I hope you haven't given up on me yet…**

**I would like to thank Moaleot for pointing out the things I missed, Luvbasket, for triggering the avalanche of thoughts when my wilful muse was playing hide & seek with me and of course Logan, for correcting the grammar.**

**CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: A BIG DAY**

All around the world it can be said, the weather can surprise. Sometimes it's a very unpleasant surprise, freezing rain in the middle of a beautiful, snowy winter or cold winds spoiling what was a lovely summer. This summer however, was especially blessed; the weather had been stable, the days pleasantly hot and sunny, interspersed with light showers every few days, not much but just enough to refresh the air and cool down the overheated city. It was a summer everyone could only be thankful for.

There were a group of people that was especially glad for having no unwelcomed surprises on this one certain, particular day. On that day, they all awoke in various parts of the city but each and every single one of them welcomed it with an equal sigh of thankfulness for the view of a clear sky and the sun brightening the world behind their windows. They all had a reason to be happy about having nice weather.

There was a reason that had brought them all to one place. All arrived at different times but they had all arrived to take part in what was one of the biggest events in the Andrews family in the past three decades.

O O O

Chicago, 18th August, 11am

The spacious room on the mansion's top floor could hardly be called an oasis of peace and quiet. A busy beehive was more of a correct term to describe the activities that was taking place up there. And like in a beehive, everything that was going on there was well organized and well orchestrated, despite the nervous atmosphere. Two maids were tending to a white dress that lay flat out on the bed, focused careful on fixing the ugly tear in its silky lining, discreetly listening to the drama that was unfolding in the room. Another maid was taking care of two other elegant dresses that hung in the large wardrobe, making sure that there were no wrinkles on their light green chiffon skirts and shawls. She too also couldn't help but spare a discreet glance in the same direction as her colleagues. The fourth one was knelling on the thick carpet, her eyes methodically scanning its surface as if she was looking for something tiny. An older lady, dressed in an impeccably clean, dark blue uniform, busied herself around the room, supervising this and that, commanding the maids to focus on what they were supposed to be focused on and every now and then, approached the dressing table. This was precisely the centre of the ongoing fuss and drama in the room. Here sat three young women: one had short, black hair and the other, a mass of sleek, shoulder-length auburn hair. Both were desperately trying to calm the third, who was crying with despair.

"I've lost… I've lost one of my earrings… I've destroyed two pair of stockings already… I tore my dress with the high heel… I have a tremendous headache… and if this wasn't enough, it just has to happen _today… _that… that my hair had to go and refuse to cooperate…!" she sobbed, yanking angrily at some of the wildly spiralling blond curls. "What else could possible go wrong?"

"Your eyes, if you don't stop crying." The auburn-haired woman answered.

"That and your make-up, too." The other woman with dark hair added "And your headache will only get worse."

"Thanks a lot!" the blond snapped back. "Some bridesmaids you turned out to be! You are supposed to be helping me!"

"We _are._" Her friends replied in unison.

"We are trying to make you realize that you are making trouble out of nothing. Look..." The auburn haired woman swivelled around on her chair and pointed at the busy room full of maids behind them, "Your dress is almost fixed and I doubt that anyone will even notice that it was ever torn. You have another dozen or so of white stockings and if you decide that you somehow want to destroy them all, well, Annie and I will just have to drive to the shop to get more. And as for your hair – well… we still have three more hours left, I'm sure Mrs. Jenkins will finally…" at this point, she glanced hopefully at the woman in her forties who stood behind them, but seeing how helplessly the hair comb hung in her hand, she looked away and finished her sentence with a straight face, "… get it tamed. That only leaves your earring. Are you sure you didn't lose it back at your apartment?"

"Yes… rather yes." Another teary sob stopped the troubled young woman from speaking properly. "They _were _in the jewellery... box... when I was packing…"

"Then it has to be somewhere in this room." The auburn-hair woman stated with a certainty in her voice. "We will find it. You should calm down and…"

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a knocking at the door.

"Hannah, could you check who that is, please?" asked the third young woman, who had so far been quiet in the ongoing discussions.

The woman didn't need to be told twice, she was already on her way to the door. Hannah opened them very slowly, warily, as if she wasn't sure if the person or persons who were waiting in the corridor were privileged to enter. She then warily glanced through the small gap created between the door and its frame. Apparently, she was right to be cautious. Upon seeing two male faces on the other side of the door, she narrowed the gap even more so that now, the only thing they could see was her face and a small fragment of the wall behind her back.

"I heard that there is some sort of fuss going on in there." The taller of the men began saying. "What's going in here?"

"It's a women's thing to take care of this." Hannah shook her head dismissively, offering him a fond, motherly smile. "Nothing that you should trouble yourself with, sir."

"Well, I am anyway, especially when I can hear her crying even from two floors below." He replied. "Let me see her."

He pushed the door open, lightly, expecting no resistance and he was suddenly puzzled as why the head housekeeper had held it firmly in place.

"Hannah…" he indicated, raising his eyebrows, "Let go of the door, I want to see her."

"The groom wants to see the bride just before the wedding and bring bad luck? Absolutely not, out of question, sir. Please go away!"

The audaciousness of her statement, as well as the steel, adamant notes that suddenly sounded in the woman's so far kind voice, threw the blond man off balance and he nearly backed away from the door. A second later he shook off the initial shock and he would have carried on with his request had it not been for another woman's raven head that popped into view from the gap underneath Hannah's.

"What on Earth are you doing here, Albert? Don't you have more important things to do?" she asked. And almost immediately, her blue thunderous and steely gaze, so unusual for her, searched out the other man, who had at this point, suddenly hid behind his relative's back and somehow seemed a good few inches smaller. "And you, Archie?" this time she nearly barked out, "Don't you have enough brains to keep him away from here? What part of 'men are not allowed on this floor!' that you didn't understand? Now, turn 180° and off you go to whatever you should be doing!"

The taller of the two men once more reached out his hand for the door, this time however, not as decisively as the first time he did it. "Annie…" he muttered, his voice hesitant, as if he was disconcerted by the unbending firmness in both women's voices, "Are you shooing me away in my own house?"

"Duh!" was the only reply from the raven, blue-eyed thunderstorm as the door shut loudly before he could utter another single word.

The two men were left with no choice but to fulfil the women's wish.

"I told you, not to go anywhere near them!"

The taller man sighed heavily and shook his head. Not that it was in his nature to boss people around but for the last few years, he had gotten used to the fact that he was the one in charge of everything, especially the mansion. Today, the entire order of things was thrown upside down, left and right. With the hordes of women ordering him around wherever he went and he nearly felt he had been delegated to a mere passive participant to the events taking place. Everything was well organized and now it was going on somehow beyond him.

"It's not just them; it's everything and everywhere!" he complained as they finally reached the stairs and began slowly descending it. "Kitchen – Bertha. Dining hall – Madsen. Ballroom – this lizard lady from the decorating company. Garden – Morgan. My clothing – Mrs. Parsons with that horde of room maids. That's in addition to everyone being whipped around by our dear auntie. And here – my old nanny and now main housekeeper. I am being shooed away in my own house by my own _servants_." He repeated his own words and summed up blankly, "How pathetic."

The younger man didn't answer but only smiled under his nose, amused by his relative's dilemma.

"By the way, what the devil had suddenly entered your wife, Archie? I thought she was going to tear us apart." Albert continued, clearly having an inner need to voice out his built up frustration. "She, always so gentle, amiable and fragile! What the heck happened to her?"

To his surprise, his nephew cackled quietly. "My dear, poor _Uncle William._" He uttered the title teasingly, earning himself a brief, sideways glare which he conveniently ignored and carried on, "You are older than me and yet, so little you know about women…"

Albert shot the prankster another glare but once again, this too, was ignored. "Alright, oh wise and experienced one." he shrugged his shoulders, dismissing his nephew's apparent never ending antics. "I can tell that you can't wait to enlighten me, so go on, do tell."

"Hormones." Archie announced knowingly. "I doubt that there's one woman in the entire world that isn't influenced by them, at any age or at any stage. And when it comes to being with child...?" he paused to whistle a long, meaningfully whistle. "Since she gave birth to Patrick, I can barely recognize my own wife; her temper can sometimes compete with the winter storm on the lake. Sooner or later you will find this out by yourself, when your own lovely kitten goes wild…" he finished, chuckling. "My advice: don't bother taming her. Nod, agree to whatever she says just to distract her and then basically – run. Run as fast as you can! And hide somewhere and wait there until the storm goes away."

"My word, Archie," Albert retorted in a suspiciously melodious tone, "I don't even know how to thank you for sharing your incredibly wealth of knowledge and wide experience. Your sage and wisdom knows no bounds!"

"Oh, you're welcome old man!" Archie once again cheerfully ignored the hint of sarcasm that reverberated in his relative's voice. "It's my role as best man, to be your guide in this new world of marriage that opens up before you, to make you aware of its dark side so you can be a wise husband in the future…"

"…or perhaps to bring me back to my senses," Albert cut in quickly, discouraging what he knew would become one of Archie's so called inspired, 'drama-queen-like' speeches, "…and discourage me from getting married in a first place?"

"See how observant you are, buddy?" With a rakish grin, Archie patted his relative's back patronizingly. "Marriage is a trap with no escape. I'm glad you understood the dangers of it so quickly. Well done, old man. I must be an amazingly good teacher, am I not?"

"An unbelievable teacher. Truly of sterling quality." Albert summed up, this time not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

In reply, Archie only chortled again.

"I wonder if your wife would agree to your opinion about marriage." Albert couldn't restrain himself from having the last word.

His nephew's laughter abruptly died down.

To somebody who wasn't accustomed to the two relatives, it would have seemed that the conversation was rather rude, almost aggressive but nothing could be further from the truth. It was simply the way they got on with each other. Their friendship took the form of a never ending banter, with all possible witty repartee involved and even though it would seem a little odd for outsiders, they enjoyed venting at each other enormously.

The small staircase in the southern wing connected all three levels all the way to the ground floor but upon reaching the first floor the two turned and strolled leisurely along the corridor, heading for the main marble stairs that lead down and opened up into the spacious hallway.

"Anyway, I don't get you. Everything had been so well organized and now it's almost under perfect control and you're still complaining?" Archie went on, this time in a more normal tone. "You should rather consider yourself lucky that you don't need to worry about anything. Just relax! And you know what? I've thought of a brilliantly great thought. We still have plenty of time before we have to get dressed, so how about if we go to the Temple Of Pondering in your study for a little while, huh?" he offered up his idea. And as he did, his smile changed quickly from warm and concerned to mischievous and sly. "We will lock ourselves in, ferret through your secret bar stock and have a glass of cognac or brandy…"

"…and get drunk just before the ceremony?"

"Are you kidding me? With just one glass?" Archie wasn't about to give up but, under another glare, he soon changed his mind. "Fine, just a couple of those aromatic cigars of yours then! We will relax, and I, as the sterling fellow that I am, will make a toast with a bottle of soda for your new status as a man who will soon live under his wife's thumb… I can also give you some great tips for the wedding night… If you like..."

"Dear Lord, where was my sanity when I asked him to be my best man…" Albert groaned to himself and looked up at the ceiling, seemingly ignoring his nephew's presence next to him. "Please give me the strength to bear with him or otherwise my fist will connect with his nose…"

"Nah…" Archie grinned widely. "You wouldn't risk having visible bruising on your hand today."

"Bruising on the _hand _can easily be hidden under gloves, you know."

With only a few seemingly innocent words, said with a seemingly endless patience, the prankster suddenly didn't look as confident as he did mere seconds ago.

"Fine, fine." He said humbly, wanting to pacify his relative. "Just study, just cigars, no tips. I will just have to simply do my best to convince you that you are still the master of this household…"

Albert let out another groan again but followed his nephew's steps nonetheless.

A few moments later, both men disappeared inside the study.

O O O

The situation in the bride's room on the second floor had gradually got back to normal. Both her friends had managed to calm Candy down and she had been sent to the bathroom once again to wash her face. There was a quick chat with the girls when Hannah had offered to go downstairs and make one of her famous brews, one to rinse Candy's swollen eyes, the other, to reduce her headache. Her offer had been taken up more than enthusiastically.

In a matter of less than fifteen minutes, she was back up from the kitchen, carrying two mugs covered with metal lids. The bride to be was now temporarily tucked in bed, resting, while her friends were having a lively debate with the hairdresser. Without wasting a second, Hannah picked up a few cotton pads from the dressing table, dipped them in one of the mugs and placed them over Candy's closed eyelids. "A few minutes and your eyes will look as bright as ever, Miss Candy." she encouraged, helping her drink the other warm sweet liquid.

"And how is it in the kitchen, Hannah?" Candy asked, adjusting herself on the pillows. "Please tell me that at least down there, everything is running smoothly?"

"Nothing you should trouble yourself with, miss."

"Namely, don't stick your lovely perky nose where it doesn't belong, Candy!" Annie teased and they both, along with Patty, laughed warmly. "Now just relax and let us do our job."

For another hour or so, they all focused on getting the bride to be into a 'bearable state' as she sourly called it. "You don't even know how I envy the two you sometimes..." She said to her friends who stood above her, helping the hairdresser. The woman, huffing and puffing with steam almost visible coming out of her ears with frustration, stood behind the chair, doing her absolute best to tame the exceptionally unruly locks. They had sat Candy well away from a mirror so she couldn't see the effects of their doings; she could only feel the tortured pain of her wetted hair being combed, parted, partially pinned up, stretched, dried, straightened, waxed, combed and curled. It would happen again and again. The pain of her skin being harshly pulled to one side and stretched nearly overtook the pain of her original headache.

"All you had to do was comb your hair and it's perfect!" she moaned, clenching her teeth. "What wouldn't I give to be able to have such an easygoing hairstyle myself! Sometimes I think my hair is cursed to look like a bird's nest, no matter if I keep it short or long. It takes forever to try and make anything out of it."

"You have no idea what you are talking about, Candy." Patty scolded her with a smile, holding some of the locks away from Candy's face. "You should try to be in my shoes and make something out of unbearably straight hair like mine! You might have a bird's nest, I admit - but at least yours is adorable. When I have a bird's nest, it's just a bird's nest and that's that. No charms – just mess."

"Yeah, stop your complaining, Candy." Annie chirped in her supported for Patty. "You'd better focus on how beautiful you are going to look when Mrs. Jenkins finally finishes. Right, Mrs. Jenkins?"

"Absolutely." Replied the hairdresser as she nodded her head up and down energetically. "I know your hair, Miss Candy; after all, it's not the first time that I've dealt with it. And believe me, be it stubborn or not, I will get it to do as I say or my name isn't Edna Jenkins!"

She was so serious in her fierce determination towards the said hair that she was actually very funny and both bridesmaids burst out in a short joyous laughter, highly amused.

The bride tried to sustain her gloominess but eventually, her natural cheerfulness won over and a smile also crawled onto her lips. "My hair is already standing on its ends today, Mrs. Jenkins, no need to scare it even more. But in case you don't succeed, I can always wear one of your wigs." She summed up and that was what it took to finally loosen up the tense atmosphere once and for all.

Sometime later, the bride's hair, after being literally forced into submission, was finally done and all women looked on with pride at their major achievement. Right after, Patty and Annie quickly took care of the makeup, forbidding Candy from looking in the mirror until it too, was done. She could only guess from her friends' looks that they were satisfied about what they saw.

Finally, it came to the moment when they motioned her to stand up and shed her long dressing gown. She carefully put the white stockings on and there were quite a lot of girlish giggles and jokes as she adjusted the stockings with the pale blue suspenders. When she stood up, only in her underwear, many helping hands started to work in unison, holding the folds of the skirt so she wouldn't step on any of the longer parts, again, whilst putting it on. Then, there were another few more minutes of struggle to place and fix her veil properly. Then, there was the matter of putting on the long, lace gloves. The last movement was of Annie's hand zipping up the built in corset of the dress.

A few more slight adjustments to the fabric on her shoulders – and she was ready.

"Voilà!" Patty exclaimed with satisfaction, a big, bright smile widening her lips. "This is what one can achieve by cooperating with others!"

Before Candy could even glance down at herself, her friends held her arms and walked her over to the large, full length mirror built into the wardrobe's door. Only here could she fully embrace the result of everyone's hard efforts and her own endurance.

And was it worth it? Yes indeed, every painful second!

The woman who looked back at her from the mirror was dressed in a long, snowy white dress that hugged her upper body and fell from her hips in cascades of silk and chiffon. The elastic, built into the corset, held her waist and chest firmly, propping her breasts up higher and the delicate silk around the neck opening, lengthened on her shoulders, partially covering her arms.

The same woman who looked at her from the mirror had her hair swept from the forehead, with some of its tresses plaited and pinned up neatly into a bun on the back of her head and with the rest of it falling loosely onto her neck and back. Her hair was still curly but the usually wild locks were combed and hair cream applied all separately onto each single lock had given each twist a significant shine.

The woman who looked at her from the mirror had light creamy skin, highlighted here and there with a few delicate brushes of golden powder, a slight blush that crept even from underneath her make-up and a pair of huge green eyes, which had additionally been enhanced and enlarged by smartly applied light brown eye shadow.

Shiny pink lips now open in awe.

She had dressed up nicely before. Applying make-up wasn't foreign to her either. She has had many moments in her life when she felt very feminine and very, very attractive.

But this was different.

She couldn't even tell how different it was. There was no comparison to anything that she had felt before in her life.

"I…" she stammered. "That's… I look…"

"Sensational." Patty finished her sentence off with a triumph. "Absolutely stunning!"

For a few minutes, she twisted and turned in front of the mirror, in awe, admiring the effect of everybody's hard work.

She would twist and turn some more.

It was amazing, she repeated to herself, over and over again. She looked beautiful; there was no way of denying it. And it was all thanks to her helpful friends. And no less, she awed the loving Hannah and everyone who had done their best today to help her prepare on time…

She turned once again and then her sight rested on the clock that hung on the wall. Noticing the time, she gasped and urged her friends to hurry. There wasn't that much time left for leisure and she didn't want the two of her friends to look any less lovely than herself.

When they were both nearly done with their own toilette, once again a knocking at the door echoed throughout the room. Once again, Hannah went to check but whoever it was this time wasn't unwelcomed because she opened the door rather wide. Moreover, she took a large step back, like in proximity to someone who commanded such behaviour with their presence alone.

"Are you all ready?"

Upon hearing this voice, everyone in the room turned.

With a natural air of dignity, like someone who was accustomed to having everything around her under perfect control, Madame Elroy walked into the room and unhurriedly approached the three young women, her long, yarn-dyed taffeta dress swishing delicately with each and every step.

"Yes, Aunt Elroy." Candy confirmed with a smile. "Just the very last few details and we're done."

Despite this reassurance, Madame Elroy carefully studied their appearance as if she would only believe in her own eyes and nodded with approval. "One thing is missing." She noted. "William asked me to bring this to you."

As she pulled her hand out from between the generous folds of her dress, Candy and Annie's eyes opened slightly wider, instantly they understood and they became ceremonially serious. Only Patty, still unsure of Madame Elroy's intent, watched curiously as the latter brought to view a rather large, rectangular case covered with black velvet.

"I suppose William told you what it is, didn't he?" Madame Elroy more stated rather than inquired.

Candy only nodded, moved.

Madame Elroy put the case on the edge of the dressing table and as she gently opened it, tiny specks of light flickered from within. Those specks multiplied and their brightness increased as she took the sparkling item out of the case. But it wasn't until it dangled loosely from her fingers that everyone could see the entire object, sending out white specks of light all around. And it had yet to shine in its full glory, for there wasn't any direct sunlight in the room!

"As the family tradition says, these jewels become the property of the bride to the Andrews' heir precisely on the day of their wedding, therefore today is _the _day." Madame Elroy spoke in a calm, controlled voice. She stepped closer to Candy and raised the necklace, holding it in her slightly shaking hands in front of her face. "And, as William's mother, God bless her soul, cannot be with us today to pass it down onto you, it is my role to do so."

Lowering her hands, she placed the necklace onto Candy's neck and gently held it in place with her fingers while Annie, immediately noticing that the thick mass of Candy's locks will be in the way, quickly but carefully, as not to destroy the shape, moved them to one side.

"For nearly thirty years there were no rightful owners to these jewels," Madame Elroy continued more ceremonially, this time, emotion was definitely more clearly audible in her voice, "and today is the day when they can finally be shown to the world and shine. I entrust them to you and from today onwards, they're yours, Candice – until the day the next Andrew's heir gets married. Then it will be your turn to pass them down onto his bride."

The silence fell softly upon them and there was no noise whatsoever, not even the sound of the swish of fabric as Annie respectfully manipulated the old fashioned, complicated fastener on the necklace.

"Thank you, Aunt Elroy." Candy said through her clenched throat when her friend finished. "I will always…" she hesitated for a moment, as if seeking the best words to say, "I will always wear them with pride and gratefulness of belonging to this family."

Madame Elroy nodded silently, a slight smile gracing briefly her usually tightly knitted, thin lips. "There is also a matching bracelet." She pointed at the case and this time, it was Patty who dutifully jumped in to help. "Only considering how slim your wrists are, it might be a little loose for you, so be careful at the reception."

It was Candy's turn to nod silently. She picked up the bracelet from Patty's hands and tried to put it on. Her fingers suddenly started to shake, her hand had failed to deal with the tiny fastening, so yet again, Candy allowed her friend to take over.

Finally, she stood up straight, presenting her entire, trembling self to Madame Elroy. The elderly lady studied each detail very carefully from her shoes to the top of her head, hummed with approval at her hair but all of a sudden, she frowned. "Aren't you going to wear any earrings, Candice?" she asked.

Candy lowered her eyes for a moment and looked up at Aunt Elroy calmly, now resigned to reality. "No, Aunt Elroy. I lost one of those I wanted to wear today." She admitted honestly. "And none of my other ones would match with the necklace. I guess then, it would be better not to wear any earrings than pair the emeralds with rubies or worse, plain silver."

Madame Elroy only tightened her thin lips and shook her head. _"Unbelievable." _Her piercing blue eyes seemed to scream out but she herself didn't make any comment to Candy's confession, a thing rather unusual for her. "Well then, you'd better hurry up, all of you; the others have already gone to the church." She said as she turned around and started to walk towards the door. "Wait for me in the car." She added commandingly without turning back and as gracefully as she had appeared, she left the room.

For a long moment, the three friends stood exactly where they stood as Madame Elroy left them, but as the sound of female shoes faded into nothingness in the corridor, the eerie silence in the room instantaneously turned back to the feverish hum of a busy beehive. The three young women kept taking over each other, one second asking questions, the next, bursting out in giggling fits until finally Patty grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her towards the windows.

"C'mon, let's at least have a proper look at it!" she exclaimed.

Only here, since there was plenty of direct, warm afternoon sunbeams, the necklace finally shone in its full glory. The rays reflected in the tiny diamonds enclosed within three long lines of countless golden claws, nearly blinding in its fire and intensity. A bright, white light tangled and merged with other specks of vivid orange, intense reds, opalescent blues and greens. Such was its brilliance, it made it almost impossible to look at the necklace without squinting one's eyes. And additionally, the sunbeams danced within the four large emeralds that sat in their flowery nests, adding both depth and shine to them.

"I can't find the words to describe it." Annie sighed, delighted. "It's not just beautiful; it's simply gorgeous."

"It's not only its beauty." Patty added. "That's a piece of history you are wearing, Candy. How old is it, more than a hundred years?"

"Yes, my lovely history lover; more than a hundred years." Candy said with a fond smile. "One hundred and forty three, to be precise. Albert told me that it's Georgian. It was a wedding gift inherited from one of his ancestors, William Henry, who had it designed and made for his newly wedded wife."

"But if it was a wedding gift…" Patty went on, making a frown which both her friends immediately recognized as "hey-something-doesn't-add-up-here" sign, "Why didn't Albert give it to you personally? Isn't that how it usually happens?"

"Well, this family has always… had to do something…. well, differently from others." Annie shrugged. "They have always been different and so are their traditions. The necklace is a gift from the Andrew's heir, yes – but is meant to be given by the woman who wore it previously, as a sign of acceptance into the family. It would have been Albert's mom, if she was alive. Aunt Elroy went in her stead, as the oldest of the clan."

"When did that start?" Patty investigated further, immediately curiously thirsty for old family tales. "This tradition with the necklace?"

"No, no." Candy went on. "This necklace was made in 1780 but the tradition itself is much, much older. But let's go now, I can tell you all about it on the way down."

The three friends stepped away from the windows and out of the sunbeams' reach. They quickly gathered the last items that needed to be taken and hurried for the door as quickly as their high heeled shoes allowed them.

As they walked south, down the corridor, Candy, as she had promised, briefly and concisely described to Patty a piece of the family history.

"No one remembers today who exactly started this tradition but its roots might reach even as far back as the early fourteenth century. This necklace isn't the original of course, despite the nobility, the family wasn't that rich at the time."

"So what happened to the original?"

"It was still in the family at William Henry's time but it went to his older brother, William Duncan." Candy went on. As they reached the stairs, she held on to the wooden railing with one hand and lifted the skirt of her wedding dress with the other and began descending very carefully, "Later, when Henry was already here, in America, their family nest was raided and burnt down by some unknown cutthroats. The family escaped but everything was lost. They rebuilt the house with Henry's help but whatever heirloom is in the family now, started from then, from 1780."

"That's old enough." Patty laughed softly. "And what happened later? Is anyone from Henry's older brother's family still alive today?"

"Oh yes!" Candy nodded enthusiastically. "Some of them followed Henry to America and their descendants live in Boston today. They had already arrived a few days ago; I'm surprised you didn't meet any of them when you arrived. When I got here this morning, I felt like there was a member of the McIntyre clan on every corner!" she finished, laughing.

"_McIntyre?"_ Patty accentuated the surname. "Not _Andrew_?

"No. William Duncan had only daughters. You know better than me that back then, there was no way a woman could inherit a title, don't you? So then, after he died it was automatically passed onto William Henry, who already had a son and only his branch carried both bloodline and the name."

"So that's why Albert is _so_ important to the family!" Patty exclaimed. Indeed, being born and raised in England and being more than well educated in its customs, she had no problems with the proper understanding of her friend's explanations. The difference was that up to this point, she had only knew parts here and there regarding the family story, and it wasn't until now, having being told in more detail, could she fully understand why the current head of the family was surrounded with such an unusual esteem. Then, as they left the stairs, she turned to Candy and accused her, facetiously, "What a bad friend you are! You know how I love history and you have _never_ shared those stories with me before!"

"Would you believe that I had never really paid any attention to them before?" said Candy defending herself with a sweet, disarming smile. "It was only just this summer, every time that I came here. Aunt Elroy sat me down in the library and finally made me sit and properly, read all the family journals. And later still, she enriched my knowledge with her own, more recent family stories."

"And as we both know that you, you my dear friend, kept falling asleep right in the middle." Annie teased her.

"And here is where you are wrong, my dear Matron of Honour(39)." Candy countered. "Surprisingly, Auntie's stories were interesting and intriguing. Believe it or not but she was quite a good story teller."

"Candy, I would have never said you were her solicitor, defending her!" Annie teased her again and all three of them looked at each other meaningfully before bursting in soft, warm laughter.

The moment they reached the top of the marble stairs, they all came to a sudden stop. Having arrived at the mansion when all the preparations were still in progress and also being locked away in the bride's room ever since, they had a very vague idea what was really going on around the house and now they could barely recognize it.

And as usual, like before any big party, the entire furniture from the main hall had been removed except for the one large round table set near the main door. The one foot tall stage for the musicians was installed, again, in its usual place, along with the lacquered black piano which had been dragged up here earlier on from the parlour. Only the stage, the position of the main door and the unchanged shape of the two large chandeliers that dangled on their chains from beneath the ceiling, indicated that it was still the mansion's main hall. Everything else, however…

The entire hall had literally changed its shape. This was due to the fact that long strips of dark red plush, somehow tied under the ceiling and at the base of each chandelier, spread outwards towards the walls. The strips, each attached to the walls, hung loosely along them, changing the usually beautiful but rather cold interior into something that was much softer and welcoming, even without cutting off much space. There were ten stripes for each chandelier but that was enough to create an illusion of being in a large tent with two crowns. The usual brown curtains too had disappeared from the windows; the stripes were long enough to reach the floor and wide enough to serve as a curtain in the window's alcoves as well.

The pair of massive doors that usually separated the hall from the dining room had also disappeared; now the entrance stood wide open, with the frames and door hinges also masterfully covered and decorated with the same dark red plush.

And every door, every window, even the stairs, were additionally decorated with bunches of white and gold balloons with white ribbons beautifully tangled into ever sophisticated knots and spirals.

It took a few good moments for them to embrace everything, for them to absorb every aspect of the sight that now beheld them. Candy finally moved. "Hold me, girls, before I faint…" she sighed. "I feel like... I'm in a fairytale."

"Agreed." Patty joined her with no less awe in her voice.

"Same here."

Sighing and glancing around them, they finally made it downstairs where they were met by the awaiting butler and informed that Madame Elroy was already in the car outside.

"We'd better really hurry now." Said Annie as she hurried her friends along.

Madame Elroy was indeed waiting. "Finally." She commented shortly as they entered the car, one by one, "I was beginning to think that you were doing everything that you could think of to be late for your own wedding, Candice."

Candy sat on the very edge of the seats as not to wrinkle her dress. "We were simply caught up and astonished by the changes in the hall, Aunt Elroy." she chirped, conveniently ignoring Aunt Elroy's scolding tone. "This decorating company was a great choice! You were so right when you insisted that we should hire them!"

"How surprisingly quickly you change your mind, Candice." Madame Elroy grumbled grouchily, not even noticing the change of subject. "If I remember it well, both of you protested very vividly against using them, against the whole entire idea of having a big party, actually!"

"Oh well, everyone has a right to be wrong sometimes." Candy retorted with her best poker-face. "Luckily, we had you, Aunt Elroy, to guide us."

To that, Madame Elroy didn't reply. She slowly turned her face towards the window – but she didn't manage to completely hide how the compliment had pleased her. All the three friends only exchanged discreet but meaningful glances to one another. Aunt Elroy probably didn't even realize how much her face could soften when she wasn't pinching her lips so tightly together.

The silence in the car couldn't last forever. 'The devil sits in the details', the old saying says and there's no single bride in the world who wouldn't like to get all the details of her attire right. Both bridesmaids weren't any better, and as Rogers drove through the city, the interior resembled more of that like a beauty saloon than a car, except for the size and room for manoeuvring, of course.

And maybe that's why, preoccupied with their chatting, they hadn't notice that Madame Elroy had opened her purse and pulled something out of there. Only the sound of her voice, calling Candy's name ceased their necessary and unnecessary corrections. "I cannot allow you to show yourself to people with an incomplete set of jewellery." She paused and only carried on, once she had their full attention focused on her. "Here, I can lend you one of mine, one of those I hardly wear."

From between the folds of a white batiste handkerchief, something shone in a very similar way the necklace had shone earlier on from within its case. When Madame Elroy opened it fully, their eyes saw what was wrapped inside; a pair of gold earrings. They were very simple in their design but they had their own charm – and with a green gem on each of their ends.

"They obviously come from a completely different set but at least the emeralds have a cut similar to those from the necklace, even if they were much smaller. I think they might do, for as long as no one looks at them too carefully." Madame Elroy carried on almost indifferently and stretched her hand out across the space between the seats.

"Can I…? Really…?" Candy, visibly touched, looked like she was temporarily unable to make any type of movement.

"You can and you will." Madame Elroy replied, now more commandingly. "You will upset me greatly if you object."

With such a statement, Candy couldn't argue with that, even in the name of politeness and modesty. With her lips trembling in something that was a cross between a smile of gratefulness and the beginnings of a cry, she picked up the earrings from Madame Elroy's palm. Putting them on, with her hands trembling even more than her lips, wasn't easy but this time she didn't ask any of her friends for help. She just _had to_ do it by herself. It would be hard for her to explain why, if someone had asked her why, she just _had to_. She would have even greater trouble explaining to that same person why these simple earrings suddenly meant much more to her than the priceless, sophisticated necklace. That was only borrowed – whereas the family heirloom was presented to her because of the family tradition, these earrings were given to her by her aunt's own free will.

And gifts from _this_ woman were always important to her.

"Thank you, Aunt Elroy." She managed to whisper through her already clenched, dry throat.

Madame Elroy nodded only once. "But, for God's sake, try not to lose them like you did yours." She tried to make her voice out to be harsh but failed. "These once belonged to my mother."

And with just these few words, any façade about lending her something insignificant were shattered; something inherited after one's mother _always _held a special meaning. As their gazes met, her vision suddenly blurred as her eyes misted over with tears that threatened to fall like a heavy downpour.

"Aunt Elroy…" Annie's audibly panicked voice suddenly cut in, "I don't mean to be impolite but I beg you, please we have to change the subject and now!"

Everyone in the back of the car, stunned with Annie's request, turned to her with unspoken questions written all over their faces.

"Please, if we keep talking about anything so emotional, she will start crying again, I know it." Annie explained fervently. "And then all our efforts in doing her make-up will be ruined!"

Odd as it was, Annie's request just happened to be quite effective; Patty momentarily held her breath and then, began noiselessly chuckling into her fisted palms and Candy did it almost openly, indeed breaking out of her 'I'm-just-about-to-cry' mood. Even Madame Elroy couldn't contain her gaiety and only after a few moments she remembered where she was, covering her mouth behind the forgotten batiste handkerchief and coughed as if clearing her throat. Her eyes, however, visible from above her palm had a suspicious shine in them, as if she was still smiling.

"You should be glad, Candy." Patty added. "Thanks to your aunt, you have everything that a bride needs: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. You have an old veil, new dress, borrowed earrings and blue…"

Here, she hesitated, as if she realized that she might have went a little too far. She stopped herself saying what she was about to say and slowly turned her head and looked out the window, as if something interesting was going on outside the car. It was different to joke about Candy's underwear when they were alone, but here, here was an entirely different situation altogether. There was something about Madame Elroy's presence that didn't allow one to joke too freely, let alone to be open and frivolous.

"Blue what?" Madame Elroy asked as she slowly turned her head and looked Candy up and down.

Silence.

If this was the wild west, then a tumbleweed would be rolling by about now.

"I don't see anything blue on you." Madame Elroy added, as nobody else spoke.

"Let's just say…" Candy wasn't sure how to resolve this situation either, "that it isn't in plain sight. I know I'm wearing _something _blue and that's enough."

"What is it?" Madame Elroy pressed her for an answer. "Something in your underwear? Suspenders perhaps...? What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" she inquired, when everyone had looked at her with mild shock plastered on their faces. Madame Elroy then shrugged. "It's not hard to guess; I too, also got married once, you know?"

Careful smiles cracked open on everyone's lips again and with such a nice mood, they continued the rest of the ride in this fashion.

O O O

There wasn't a crowd of guests waiting outside the church; only two men stood at the base of the stairs, immobile as if two statues had been dressed in black tuxedos and placed there. One was tall and dark-haired; the other was shorter but much heavier built and looked much older than his companion, which was heavily accentuated by his completely silver hair. And he was the one Madame Elroy addressed as soon as she approached them.

"What are you still doing outside, Duncan?" she asked directly, once outside the car, she was back to her strict, usual self. "Everyone was supposed to wait inside."

"I know, my dear. My sister is to blame; she sent me with the mission of accompanying you in once you had arrived." he defended himself with a helpless shrug and then offered her his arm. "And you know that there's no arguing with her when she wants something."

"Yes, stubbornness is a rather typical trait in our family." Madame Elroy commented and accepted her cousin's arm. Everyone walked up the stairs and stopped just outside the massive, carved door where she once again turned to the young women. "Give us a moment to get to our bench discreetly; I don't want to make any more fuss than is necessary." She said to Candy who was now holding onto the arm of the second man. "Enter when the music sounds."

She walked into the vestibule whilst the rest of them waited outside, like she had requested.

"George..." Candy called the man's name softly. "Thank you once again for agreeing to do this."

A slight smile lit up the man's olive-toned face as he looked down at her. "However could I refuse?" he replied. "Walking the bride to the altar is an honour for me. It's _me_ who should be thanking you for being the chosen one."

Candy only smiled silently.

Finally, after a long moment, the sounds of the pipe organs burst into life from within the cathedral, making them all straighten up.

"So, Candy…" Patty said teasingly, as George reached for the massive bronze door handle, "are you ready to become Mrs. William Albert Andrew?"

O O O

**Footnotes:**

(39) While the bridesmaids are usually being chosen from unwed young women of marriageable age, married women can also be accepted. They are called the Matron Of Honor while the unwed ones are called Maid Of Honor.


	27. AND SO THE FAIRY TALE BEGINS

**CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: ****AND SO THE FAIRYTALE BEGINS**

Chicago, 18th August, 2pm

It has begun.

The sounds of the pipe organ music made his soul nearly soar. As if that was necessary! He has been feeling excited ever since they had arrived at the church and that feeling only grew with the passing of time, as they all stood outside, making all types of formal chat with their few invited guests. By the time he had gone inside and stood at the altar, waiting for his bride to appear at the back of the cathedral, the excitement was near the point of being unbearable.

And there she was, led by one of his closest friends, his own private angel who walked towards him all dressed in white, with a heart-reaching smile on her lips.

The love of his life.

His wife oh so very soon to be.

His destiny.

For God knows how many times already, he had thought to himself, how an incredibly lucky guy he was to love so much and to be loved back.

Finally, after a long walk along the aisle, they stood before him at the altar, George turning to Candy to give her a sort of a friendly blessing. There was no fatherly kiss on the bride's forehead. He knew his friend too well to expect that; George was always so reserved when it came to any close physical contact. Instead, he only reached out his hand to Candy and when she accepted it, he clasped it in both his hands and squeezed it cordially, a warm smile brightening his usually serious face. He then released her hand, gently motioned her to take her place beside the groom and discreetly backed away to sit with the rest of the family in the first row.

As his fiancée neared, Albert gently took her gloved hand and lifted it to his lips. Looking deeply into her eyes, he placed a delicate kiss on her white lace covered fingers. He melted under the smile that she gave him.

Then, they separated, took their own places and turned towards the priest.

The wedding ceremony begins…

OOO

Chicago, 18th August, 2.20pm

"I, William Albert, take you, Candice, my most precious gift from God, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health. I promise to always put you first in my life, always be there to comfort you in your times of sorrow and rejoice with you in your victories, to cherish you and respect you. I vow to be faithful until death do us part."

"I, Candice, take you, William Albert, my blessing from above, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health. I promise to walk by your side, to be conscious of your needs, to love, help and encourage you and be faithful to you until death do us part."

The words, said in a warm, firm feminine voice, echoed faintly throughout the church, causing the guests to smile fondly, for the second time. The bride, standing proudly in front of the altar, didn't turn her eyes away from the groom; she kept looking directly into his sparkling eyes, just like she had been since they began to speak their vows.

They exchanged the rings presented by Archie and then the priest nodded, confirming the ceremony to be completed. "I pronounce you husband and wife." he said. "You may kiss the bride."

Candy smiled lovingly to the one who had just become her husband and he replied in the same manner. Their long wait was over and as they looked deep into each others' eyes, they could see in there an awe and pure joy. Still smiling, Albert gently cupped her face with his palms and gave her a soft, chaste kiss on her lips.

Chicago, 18th August, 2.30pm

These smiles of pure, unadulterated happiness didn't fade from their faces when they finally came out of the cathedral. It had still remained there when they got in the car and later, when Rogers drove them through the city. Sitting on the back seat of the elegantly decorated limousine, they couldn't care less for any of their surroundings. Still in some sort of a daze, they sat and held each other's hands, as if they needed physical contact to make sure that what just occurred really did in fact, happen. Looking at each other, into each other's eyes as if they still needed to make sure that they were now really and truly, husband and wife.

Soon enough though, holding hands wasn't going to be enough.

Albert leaned towards his wife, closing the distance between them to mere inches. "So, _Mrs. _Andrew…" he teased her with her new title. In his ears it sounded like the sweetest of music. "How are you feeling as my wife?"

"I will tell you when I know myself." She replied, sighing. "Now… it all feels so incredible, so surreal that I'm actually almost afraid I'm going to wake up at any moment and this all will have been one of my dreams…"

"You know what…" he interrupted her, the corner of his already smiling lips curling even higher upwards. "I think I might have just the way to…"

His free hand brushed along Candy's gloved hand and forearm, then it climbed up her shoulder and neck, to finally land on her chin. He let his thumb brush sensually over her lower lip. "Well?" he insisted in a lowered voice. "The bet is over, I have won... So… Would the first kiss from your _husband _be good enough to convince you that all this _is_ real?"

Deep down he knew there could only be one answer but his ridiculous male ego wanted to hear it spoken out loud and he waited for her reply with a smirk of absolute self-certainty.

"Yes, you've won the bet, my lovely and oh so self-satisfied _husband._" she murmured, narrowing her eyes slightly as he raised his eyebrow in amusement. Of course, his wife wouldn't be herself if she simply agreed with him… "Please…" she added temptingly, only this time, her voice purred like a cat's, instantaneously waking up his instincts of a hunter, "Convince me."

Not needing any more prompting, he leaned over and softly covered her lips with his.

The kiss was slow and tasted of longing. The last time he had kissed her was almost three months ago and it felt like it had really been an eternity. Even now he wondered how it was possible that he had managed for so long, out of his own shear will. He had many moments that he had regretted his impulsive and rather stupid bet, even now, and yet at the same time, he found it that it was somehow worthy. He literally felt like a traveller, who after a long journey, across the desert was finally allowed to take a drink of life giving water. And so he drank, from her. He relished in her soft lips, tasted them slowly, almost carefully, enjoying every second of it. It felt so wonderfully fresh that it almost felt as if he was kissing her for a very first time…

But he wouldn't be himself if the kiss remained only dreamy and gentle. The longer he kissed his wife, the more she was falling into his arms – and he was subconsciously pulling her even closer. And before he even knew that there wasn't an inch of distance left between them; their bodies had merged together, leaving no space for delicate kissing. And indeed, what started as a dreamy kiss was now a kiss of rapidly growing passion, something they were both very likely to lose themselves in. Already he felt his manly urges promptly waking his body to life and his wife's hands, embracing him and tangling in his hair didn't exactly help him to keep his control over himself. And his own hands, his own hands were…

"Sir?"

The sound of the male voice tore into his muted consciousness only as a distant echo through a fog, but surprisingly, it was enough. For both of them actually; they simultaneously backed away from each other, breaking their kiss. It took them a few long seconds to fully return from their own little world and back to the reality of here and now, and even longer to get control back over their fluttering breaths.

Without breaking eye contact with Candy he asked the chauffer in a slightly shaky voice, "What is it, Rogers?"

"We are almost at the mansion, sir."

This sentence had them both opening their dazed eyes wider in mild disbelief. And indeed, as they looked outside the window, they realized that they were near the mansion and the rest of the journey wouldn't take more than two or three minutes.

"Thank you, Rogers."

Turning back towards his wife, he was surprised to see her holding a miniature pocket mirror in front of herself and fervently checking up on her face. Apparently, she only needed those few precious seconds, when he was facing the driver, to get whatever she needed from her purse. _Women, _he thought to himself, hardly resisting the urge to roll his eyes. From a passionate kiss straight into looking after her appearance, having no apparent problems with self-control, like nothing had happened…

Well, except for…

"Candy… leave it." he clasped her suddenly shaking hand. "You look beautiful."

"Sure, only a man would say that!" she replied nervously. "Look at this… and that…" she freed her hand from his and began, once again, fervently correcting her slightly messed up fringe and make up. "I can't come out of the car and let the guests see me like this! Rogers… Rogers, please, slow down as much as you can without stopping!"

He sighed, unwittingly amused and let her do as she pleased. Only when their Daimler turned to cross the gate that was decorated with white roses, he clasped her hand again, firmer this time, took the mirror out of her fingers and hid it in his pocket. "Trust me." he murmured warmly. "You look perfect."

He knew of course that there was absolutely no way to convince any woman on Earth that she looked perfect but it didn't matter now; Candy didn't have time for any silly arguments. The moment had now come when they had to get out off the car and walk past the numerous guests that had been invited for the party back at the mansion. They both looked out the car window. All the guests waited for them outside and their numbers was so large that they didn't all manage to fit onto the patio. Some had to stand on the stairs while others, on the driveway below. They stood so close to each other that it was impossible to see where the floor ended and where the grass begun. It was quite a view to behold! And they would have to greet them all, every guest, one by one.

"Feeling like it's more real now?" he teased her gently.

"Definitely…" Candy replied, her lip trembling. "Oh my God, Albert, I don't think I will be able to walk all the way… I'm shaking… What if I trip over? What if I...? Oh I'm going to be eaten alive!"

"You, scared?" Albert smiled warmly, squeezing her hand. "You managed to tame our scary family dragon and you are afraid of _them_? Please."

Rogers held open the door for them and once they got out off the car, Candy nervously smoothed down the wrinkles on the outer, chiffon layer covering the silk bottom of her dress and expectantly looked up at Albert. She desperately needed to hold onto his arm. She didn't want the others around them to know but she was really afraid of tripping over on the uneven surface of the driveway. And that was something she couldn't possibly allow to happen, not with the hundreds of guests watching her every move, her every step and the press waiting to take the best photos of them. They would be more than eager to record and print any faux-pas…

But her husband didn't offer her his arm, no. The view of his lips stretched in a half smile was the only warning for what happened next. A second later, Albert bent over and before she could utter a word, he whisked her up in his arms in a neat example of bridal style sweetness. Surprised by being lifted off the ground so rapidly, she squeaked and wrapped her hands around his neck but when he laughed and held her more securely to his chest, she relaxed herself, trusting him. She even managed to break a smile. So much for her worries about tripping over… To others, it might have seemed that the groom had decided that the tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold might as well start there, well before the stairs leading up to the mansion, but she knew better… It was simply his way of solving the problem of her nervousness…

Making his way through the sea of elegantly dressed people, Albert felt as if he was floating. The cheering of the crowd accompanied them as he ascended the stairs. But somehow, to him, it had somehow become just a humming in a background. Personally, he would have preferred it if they only had a quarter of the number of guests invited for today, but right now he couldn't care less. With his still trembling woman in white whom he proudly carried in his arms, he wouldn't even mind if they had twice as many guests. He was a person who valued privacy very much but today he felt like he wouldn't have even minded having his wedding party thrown for the entire city, something he had fought so hard against. Ha! Why not the entire world?

Yet, no words of the immense pride passed through his lips as he walked towards the door. Only when he got there, he turned his head and leaned towards Candy's ear. Her attention was the only one he needed. "So, my _Mrs._ Andrew." he whispered. "Welcome home."

He couldn't quite clearly understand what she had replied as she had her face buried in the crook of his neck but even the quick, joyous hug that followed was meaningful enough.

And odd, it was with this quick hug that it finally dawned at him. He has had months to prepare himself and get used to the idea but it didn't really sink in until now. Not in the church, not in the car. Now.

Yes. She was now Mrs. Andrew. _His _Mrs. Andrew. No longer just a guest in this house, not even its inhabitant. She was its rightful lady and it was from now on _**their **_house… For the rest of their days... she was his. Forever.

It was happiness almost too big to contain.

O O O

Chicago, 18th August, 3.45pm

The party started straight after the receiving of all the presents that had been brought by the guests and it took awhile before the last of them were finally taken away by the servants. When that was finally over, Candy barely repressed a sigh of relief. While receiving congratulations from their closest friends and family and the following few dozen or so of the guests didn't seem as bad as she had initially thought – it was actually quite fun – it was different after they passed the first hundred. The next second hundred, she wasn't even nervous anymore; she felt like her brain was beginning to switch off. She knew most of these people, but at some point, they had become just an endless line of forgetful faces and hands that stretched out to shake or kiss hers. She smiled, courtly nodded and thanked the guests' for their kind wishes but if anyone had asked her later, she wouldn't have been able to tell who said what to her. The end of this idle chat was really more than welcomed. Both by her and as well as by Albert, he turned to her and rolled his eyes discreetly as soon as the last of the guests walked away towards the dance floor.

"Chin up, baby." He murmured into her ear. "Now just a few family photos and the boring part will be over."

But who said that posing for the photographer had to be the boring part? Perhaps the first few shots were to be taken in the traditional and rather serious way – but nearer to the end, it had occurred to her that she would love to have some other photos, not necessarily taken in ceremonial poses. Immediately, she shared her idea with Albert, whispering into his ear and his eyes shone mischievously. Nearly as soon as the session ended and the guests who had posed in the main photos began returning to the main hall, he leaned over and had a discreet word with the photographer. The latter, whom initially disagreed on the grounds of taste but when tempted with an extra sum offered, wholeheartedly agreed, and this was how another new, separate and rather quick photo session came to pass.

They were promised that the stills of their kisses, some of them funny and some quite daring, would _never_ be presented along with the rest of the photos, under any circumstances. They were to be for their own, exclusive use.

Immediately after, as they joined the rest of the guests in the main hall, it came time to follow with the tradition of throwing the bouquet. The hall, even though silenced significantly by the layers of red plush, filled up with many female voices commenting teasingly on those yet unmarried girls, who had gathered in a rather large group behind the bride's back. Amongst the jokes and laughter, at the given signal, Candy threw the bouquet over her head, secretly wishing to herself that it would fall into Patty's hands, so the last of their sisterly trio would also join Annie and herself in their 'wives' world'. But this time it would seem, fate was rather mocking; she threw the bouquet in the right direction but with a little too much force. And as a result, it flew into the embrace of another young woman, and it was a woman who rejected it even though she was known to be in a long-term relationship; Melissa Weston. She had joined the group only because tradition had required her to do so but she had deliberately stood at the very back of the group, sure that such distance would keep her "safe" from the "danger of marriage". The look on her face, covered in a blanket of complete horror as the flowery bunch fell directly into her panicking hands was so funny, it caused another burst of laughter from the group. Candy laughed too, sure that this incident will give Melissa's father, Montgomery, a reason to tease his daughter mercilessly for, at least, the next few hours.

And as the laughter finally died down, everyone made their way to the dining area and sat at their designated places.

O O O

Chicago, 18th August, 6pm

With the amount of guests, the kitchen staff had worked tirelessly to create an impressive wedding banquet.

And what a wedding banquet it was. What wasn't here?

The first course had consisted of various different appetizers. From sweet cocktails, made from exotic fruits from around the world, to spicy smoked salmon and caviar canapés to a hearty vegetable soup that was served with a freshly baked, and still piping hot, bread roll. Then, there was the Maine lobster, served in a creamy, garlic butter and parsley sauce. There was a choice for everyone. And as for the second course, well, there was a grand selective choice of exceptional meats and fish. A grand choice, indeed. Some guests had chosen the slow cooked roasted beef with the slightly crispy outside and the pink, tender and juicy, centre, whilst others chose the slow cooked pork. It dripped with honey and was served up with a generous portion of sweet potato and apple mash. Some fancied otherwise and they had either game birds stuffed with rice and herbs or the roasted duck and chicken. This was all topped off with Aiguillette of Striped Bass and salmon rolls filled with crabmeat. Tickling everybody's palates even further, there were also crispy baked, fluffy potatoes in thyme and side salads of all different sorts.

But it wasn't only the choice of menu that the dinner was going to be remembered by. What made a much bigger impact were the speeches.

Nobody was really surprised that Aunt Elroy had her own speech. Over the years, it had become sort of a part of the tradition that as the senior of the family, she was often asked to say a few words and now it was natural that she would do the same here. But what was surprising was the nature of her speech. Usually, she was very serious when delivering the, very much, pompous words she found adequate for an event. This time however, her speech was more cordial, emotions making themselves known every now and then as she stammered a few times, which rarely, if ever, happened before. And when she had finished, there wasn't a single person in the dining hall who wasn't touched by what she had said. Most of the women cried almost openly, including the bride. And the men... suspiciously, a big number of them were clearing their throats at the same time… including the groom.

By then, it was time for the best man to stand up and speak, and within moments, he was to dry all the female tears away, very quickly.

"When I was asked to say few words some time ago, I thought, 'Oh dear, they really must have lost their mind to ask me to do this...'" Archie began. "But if by now, the newly married couple are having second thoughts... " Here, he turned towards Albert and Candy, "...I'm sorry to inform that it's too late now because I'm already standing and nothing can stop me from finishing my speech...

Candy and Albert shared an all-knowing look. They knew Archie well enough to know that his speech would be far from serious and, apparently, they were both right.

"I guess I should start by saying something about how these two entered into my life." Archie continued. "Interestingly, even though that it is William Albert who is a member of my family, it was actually Candy whom I met first. We met when she was barely twelve and I can tell you this: whoever had met her back then would have thought that even the slightest of breezes would carry her away as she was so tiny. She seemed so fragile. Three of us – my brother, me and our cousin, Anthony also fell for this appearance. But all too quickly, we understood how wrong we were. Physically, she seemed small and fragile alright - but it was a small body full of life and thirst for adventure. This small body also carried a great heart capable of embracing everybody around, a heart full of courage and hidden strengths that surfaced every time things had gone bad, something that we had grown to admire a great deal. She had the strongest will for survival of anyone I knew. And nothing has change. Well... maybe just one thing has... she is much taller today! Well, only a bit taller." Archie added with a huge grin and many of the guests laughed out loud. The newly married couple too, couldn't contain their amusement, although Candy jokingly wagged her index finger at the prankster.

Archie cast a glance around the dining hall and after the laughter had died down, looked down again at the sitting groom.

"As for William Albert..." he paused as if musing, "Well, he is my uncle but I don't have memories of my childhood spent around him. He entered my life when I was already nearly an adult. And maybe that's why I can recall our first and every single meeting after that, very clearly. And I can tell you this: whoever had met him back then would have had a tough time trying to crack the mystery surrounding him, so good he was at keeping himself to himself, despite the deceivingly wide smiles. Nothing has changed." Archie repeated and the guests laughed again, recognizing his pattern. When they calmed down, he added, "He is still good at hiding his thoughts from the world as he is at hiding the cigars and brandy!" There was another round of laughter.

"Looking back now, I can definitely say that I would have never thought that my dear two friends would be, one day together, as a couple." Archie went on with a mused smile. "Yet today I know with all certainty that they were simply made for each other. They complete each other in many ways and I'm sure they will live a long and happy life together. So, Candy..." Archie turned fully to face the bride and the groom, "thank you for becoming a sister I never had. Albert... Thank you for being more of a friend than an uncle. Both of you are the kind of friends everyone could only hope for and you deserve to be happy. And so, three cheers for the couple, may you live long and always remember how precious the gift of love is."

A huge applause erupted throughout the room and during that time, the newly married couple thanked him for the speech. The first came in the form of a sisterly and teary kiss and the second, a in a strong shake of a hand and single but very manly hug.

After the toasts and speeches, some women, including Candy, discreetly sneaked out to the ladies restroom for a quick touch up of their make-up. From there, Candy didn't go back to the dining hall straight away; she wanted to check (just in case) that everything else was running smoothly and this led her to the kitchen. There, after giving it a quick glance, she made sure that everything was well taken care of. Under Berta's and Hanna's strict directions, the employees busied themselves with their assigned tasks, making the large kitchen look like a very, very busy but perfectly organized beehive. And it was perhaps because of this rush that no one realized that she was there at first and her white dress initially blended in amongst the long, white aprons the staff wore. Only when she approached one of the tables was she finally noticed and greeted warmly by a tall, Mediterranean looking woman.

Mrs. Castellani had been her and Albert's first choice for the person who would be in charge of the cakes for the entire party and this was what this beautiful Italian was doing right now. It hadn't been easy to convince Mr. Castellani to let go of his wife and allow her to leave Waukegan for a few days; he had initially rejected the proposition, defending himself that without her, for longer than a day, his family business would surely go bankrupt and despairing dramatically out loud that his house would also most certainly fall apart during her absence. No money could buy him, he kept repeating proudly, no matter how much they had to offer. It hadn't been until Candy begged him with her puppy dog eyes, swearing that she couldn't imagine her wedding without his wife's wonderful cakes, had he finally, relented. And this was how Mrs. Castellani was here, now having spent the last three days in the mansion. However, she was not only preparing everything in advance but also sightseeing Chicago whilst gathering the last minute ingredients, having either talkative Bertha or more reserved but also very protective Hannah as her companions.

Almost forgetting about the dining hall full of guests, Candy spent a few nice moments chatting whole-heartedly with the Italian cook. It was nice to hear that thanks to their proposition, the woman had a sort of a holiday, the first one on her own in many, many years. It was interesting to watch the preparations in Mrs. Castellani's performance and she observed eagerly, with a bit of jealousy of the woman's skills as the latter quickly and precisely decorated the huge, three layered wedding cake with the earlier prepared icings and fruits laid out neatly, ready to be used. And she would have definitely spent much more time there, just watching in silent admiration until it was finished, if it wasn't for Hannah, who finally spotted her and promptly shooed her out of the kitchen, scolding her in a motherly way for abandoning the guests and also, for risking dirtying her wedding dress.

Chicago, 18th August, 9pm

The announcement of the cutting of the cake was communicated to the guests over half an hour ago and all were terribly excited. Most had gathered around the floor as soon as the announcement was made, whereas others aggregated nearer to the announced time. At three minutes to nine, a canopy of heads had covered the entire area.

There were gasps and silent murmurings and there were ooh's and ahh's coming from the guests as the fairly huge wedding cake was wheeled onto the stage on a rather large trolley. It was a magnificent yet simple, cake. A brilliantly white, three tiered cake that stood four feet high and two feet across at the base. From afar, it seemed as if someone had placed a delicately fine white lace around the cake but upon closer inspection, it wasn't lace at all, it was an illusion that had been painstakingly etched onto the cake itself. On the lower two tiers, the tops were covered in small, different coloured marzipan roses, each with a comfit in their center. Bright red and pink roses also covered up all the pillars that supported the tiers, thereby creating the illusion that the roses were supporting the upper parts of the cake. Small beads of silver pearls dotted and spiralled their way down the sides of the cake in a uniform fashion. The topper was hand carved identical doppelgangers of adult Albert and Candy but it depicted the scene of how they first met. The craftsmanship and detail alone must have taken days to complete, it even had a miniature bagpipe!

The topper was Albert's idea and it was meant as a surprise for Candy, who absolutely loved it so much that she was about to cry again for the umpteenth time. She did manage to hold back her tears though; the thought of being plastered all over the newspapers tomorrow, blubbing, was something she could do without.

Albert stood by the right side of his new wife, held his right hand over her right hand and they both picked up the knife. Side by side they stood as they cut deep into the cake.

Two slices were cut.

They looked deep into each others eyes as he fed her a piece of cake. And it wasn't until she had placed a piece of cake in his mouth that a rapturous applause filled the entire mansion and the toasts began to start ringing out again.

The servants waited until everyone was seated before discreetly wheeling the cake away, to be cut. No one knew it yet but the talk of how delicious the cake was would be on everyone's lips for the next few days.

And then… and then came the time for the newlyweds' first dance. The husband and wife made their way to the centre of the dance floor as their guests stood up to get a better view. The lights dimmed and that was the cue for the orchestra to start playing.

And here, in this dimmed light, in a huge room filled with soft tones of lovely, dreamy music, the atmosphere of the fairytale, previously pushed back by the stiff requirements of etiquette, had returned fully. Candy felt like in one of her old dreams, when she was imagining herself dancing with her mysterious Prince. The three hundred guests crowding around them didn't matter as much. Like at the initial greeting, they had become an endless circle of faces spinning around her as she twirled in the first dance with her husband. All that mattered to her right now were Albert's deep blue eyes, his wonderful smile and the simple, deep joy of being in his arms as his wife. After all, it was the only thing that truly mattered.

She felt like her heart had completely melted right now. It was impossible not to feel like this. Not with the man she loved so deeply, at her side. And not with the meaningful words of the song performed by the female singer on the stage right now.

"_**From this moment I have been blessed,**_

_**I live only for your happiness **_

_**Right beside you is where I belong**_

_**From this moment on…"**_ (40) the woman sang in a low, charismatic voice, and it was all Candy needed for her eyes to moisten. She blinked a couple of times, to stop the tears from falling down and onto her cheeks. The earlier visit to the restroom was all in vain; she was crying again.

"I'm dancing with my Prince…" she managed to say, casting a meaningful glance at the white-green eagle engraved on the gold family brooch which Albert had attached to his black tuxedo. Then, she looked back up again at his face.

"And I'm dancing with my Wild Lady…" he replied warmly, a special, tender sparkle shining in his eyes. "Don't cry on me, baby…" he pointed out, glancing down at the single tear that rolled slowly down her cheek, "You look much prettier when you smile."

_And to think that he used to so much dislike being called 'prince', _Candy remembered all of a sudden, the thought successfully distracted her from weeping like a baby. Years back, he used to say that hearing the nickname she had made up for him as a girl, felt ticklish and that it unnecessarily accentuated his image of a golden boy. Last year he didn't want to be 'prince charming', he simply wanted to be a man for her… Now however, he was far from complaining. Golden boy had matured, became her man and 'prince' became just a lovers nickname, used intimately between them two.

When their dance was over, others all quickly joined in with them on the dance floor and from that point on, it all became a fun merry-go-round. Later on that evening she wouldn't be able to tell how many people she had spoken with or how many men she had danced with. Archie, Mr. Cornwell, Mr. Brighton, Albert, his cousin Malcolm, old Uncle Duncan, Monty and then George, Tom and Jimmy, so grown up now, Albert again and then his friend Connor, at least half a dozen men from the McIntyre clan and a few good dozen men whom she didn't even know, and then her mentor, old Dr. Jacobs, and Albert again… She had even danced with Neil at some point! She couldn't believe she did that, only out of courtesy of course, but boy, she was so happy she didn't really care.

Initially, she wasn't at all fine with the entire Leagan family being on the list of the invited, especially both her old childhood enemies, but she got over it in time. The invitation was obviously made and sent out on Aunt Elroy's request and they both agreed, though reluctantly in their heart. At the end of the day, the Leagans, even though not truly related, were officially a part of the family and not inviting them for such an important event such as the wedding of the head of the family, would be considered as a huge affront. And this was why they were now amongst the guests, luckily for her thus far, rather invisible.

Regardless of the not-so-favourite guests, it was outweighed by the company of the more pleasant ones. And they were much more numerous, which made it easier to cope with the presence of those in the first group. There were other fragments of the party more worthy of remembering. There was the view of her teachers, Miss Pony and Sister Maria chatting lively with Principal Mary Jane and laughing like the bunch of school friends they once had been… There was that funny chat she had with her best friends, Annie and Patty, when they had snuck out to Annie's bedroom, a few lovely moments with little Patrick… There were the few words she had exchanged with Jimmy, then a slightly longer chat she had with Tom, a few words with some other guests here, a few words there…

Later that night, she went back to the kitchen once more, though this time only for a moment, having just enough time to personally thank everyone for all their hard work.

When she got back to the dining hall, some of their guests had dispersed. They had either gone back on to the dance floor or they were enjoying the fresh air on the terrace. She quickly realized that Albert was among those who had left the table. She didn't pay too much attention to it at first, it wasn't the first time they were tending separately to the different group of guests but when he didn't come back after more than fifteen minutes, she began to wonder where he could have been.

A quick inspection on the terrace revealed that he definitely wasn't there. He also wasn't in the main hall, which she checked by methodically scanning the crowd from the stairs, down. Her curiosity piqued even more when she met Annie, like herself, also looking for her husband. According to her story, both men had disappeared simultaneously right after dessert and hadn't been seen since. They continued searching. They didn't find their husbands during their quest but they did manage to find someone else. At some point they bumped into Patty who immediately joined in their hunt, they now joined forces and started looking for the men, together but to no avail. The only thing they did discover during their investigation was that there were actually more men missing than just their husbands.

"Oh well, maybe they hid somewhere to make some indecent toast for your wedding night." Annie teased her frivolously when they finally gave up their search, "You know how men are. We'd better leave it; they'll be back sooner or later…" And with that, all three friends headed back towards the party.

The men finally came back alright, but not exactly the way they had left…

. . .

Sometime later, the orchestra finished playing and as the silence fell on the speakers, the butler requested the microphone.

"Sirs and Madams, may I have your attention, please…" he spoke ceremonially. As the guests' heads began turning towards the improvised stage, one foot above the floor, he continued, "Could you all make your way to the dance floor as Sir Andrew wishes to make an announcement?"

_Announcement? _Annie didn't speak the word out loud but she just as well might have, for the puzzlement was written all over her face. Even if she had wanted to, Candy wasn't able to reply as she herself was completely surprised as well. The wedding reception had its own designed schedule but there were no announcements in the itinerary they had planned. Or at least none that she _knew _of.

What Annie didn't get to say, another did. "Candy?" Patty asked, with the same puzzled look Annie wore. "Could you tell us what is going on?"

"Don't even go there!" Candy raised her hands in a defending gesture, "I have absolutely no clue what's going on too!"

Their puzzlement remained until all the guests had finally came back in from the parlour and terrace and began to fill up the main hall, as always serving also as the ballroom. Quiet whispers and murmurs were heard throughout the crowd and it was clear that everyone was as curious as all three of them were.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a single, tenor-like male voice cut through the hushed chatter and at once, the three friends looked at each other in shock. And if they had any doubts as to who the voice belonged to, it disappeared when the voice continued, "Please, may we request some space in the middle of the room?"

"Oh my God!" Annie moaned quietly and covered her mouth with her palms. "What kind of crazy idea has he come up with _this time_?"

"I said: we need some space!" the voice urged the crowd again, this time more impatiently when no one made any attempt to move. This time, it clearly came from somewhere above and everyone turned their heads to locate where the owner of the voice was standing.

"I think he might be somewhere on the first floor!" Patty had her own guess.

"Not 'he', Patty. _Them."_ Candy corrected her friend with a deep sigh, also burying her face in her palms. "He said 'we'. Whatever he is up to, he is_ not_ alone in this..."

However odd the request was, the guests obediently followed it. The crowd parted slowly, creating a gap that widened and widened until the middle of the floor was completely empty.

Candy's suspicions were soon confirmed.

"Then, ladies and gentlemen…" another, much lower voice shouted out and they immediately recognized it as Albert's. "Here… comes… the real fun!"

As he shouted out the last word, a single, searing musical note from a bagpipe cut through the thick silence of the ballroom, causing everyone to either wince or gasp. There were others who looked at one another, perplexed. It was then that the mystery surrounding this entire fuss began to unveil itself. As the music piped out continuously, two rows of men had appeared on the first floor, both coming from the opposite sides of the marble stairs and walked along the twin banisters, with the clear intent of meeting half way, on the stairs.

"Here you have our missing husbands, Candy!" Annie sighed as two young men in front of the proud cavalcade happened to be no one else but Albert and Archie themselves. "And wherever they've just come back from, I'm weirdly sure that it was more than just a 'guys' meeting." She pointed out.

"They are not even walking." Candy snorted with a short, quiet laugh. "Just look at them! They are showing off like some tooting black grouses in mating season, wanting to impress everyone with their parade…"

As soon as she said the last word, something clicked in her mind. With wild disbelief in her eyes, she frowned and glanced at Annie, who stood next to her and also happened to wear the same frown.

Both young women looked at each other and after a second, both shouted out simultaneously "…parade…?"

And it was then that the two rows of men met halfway on the stairs and turned to descend.

"What on Earth…?" Patty almost choked at the sight of the men's unusual clothing, no longer hidden behind the high marble banister.

"Kilts." Annie replied blankly. "They are wearing kilts… every single one of them!" she added as more and more men appeared on the lower stairs.

Patty's eyes grew wide open as she couldn't contain her surprise. "_T-Those_ are kilts?" she managed to stutter. "I've seen quite a few kilts in my lifetime but I've never seen anything like those before!" She couldn't help but point.

"Because they're wearing the old, traditional ones." Candy explained quickly, already working out that the show wasn't just a random prank that was just thought up at the last minute, brought on by alcohol at the men's secret meeting. She had an inkling that this show had all been pre-planned. The men descended the stairs in unison, their perfectly synchronized stomping provided the rhythm to the march of the bagpipe.

"The Scottish Great Kilts…they look just like those from the old drawings in the Andrews' journals…"

She trailed off, as if unable to finish her sentence. Annie also didn't say anything and Patty, even though curious, restrained herself from asking any questions for the time being; admiring the show seemed much more satisfying than talking about it.

"I can't believe my own eyes." Candy shook her head. "How many did they manage to gather? See, Annie? There's Malcolm, there, just behind Archie. And look, Patty… that's Uncle Duncan with his entire McIntyre clan... and even Neil, there…!" she added with surprise in her voice, "And the rest of the men from the family…"

"And not just family…" Patty exclaimed, also surprised as she eagerly followed her friend. "Is that… is that George?"

Almost at the end of each row, two elderly men walked into view. They were the ones who were responsible for the seemingly chaotic symphony of sharp sounds that filled the air – or, rather it was the bagpipes that they carried. And the cavalcade was closed up by another man, slightly younger looking, who held a bodhran (41) and a young boy with a flute, both instruments had yet to be used.

As soon as the men reached the ground floor, the two rows merged into one. The line of men walked onto the space made earlier by the guests and began creating a circle in the centre, facing each other. And as soon as the circle was completed, the music suddenly changed from a sharp march to a smoother, faster tune. This was followed immediately by both other instruments.

"They… they are going to dance the Scottish Highlander (42) !" Annie finally recognized what the men were about to do.

"How do you know?" Patty asked.

"Who do you think I am married to, a Brazilian?" Annie scoffed at her friend with a smile. A second later she became serious again and her face took on a very concerned look. "But…but they can't! Girls, this is completely out of protocol!"

"Seriously, Annie… I think that protocol is the last thing on their minds right now…" Candy noted. "Look, Annie, they are all grinning!"

And indeed, all the men had wide smiles almost glued to their faces and they looked as if they were ready to burst out into laughter at any second.

After the first few steps, the circle began to move in a clockwise direction, not too fast at first but energetically enough for the guests not to be able to distinguish between each patterned tartan. The colours mingled and the different patterns merged and contrasted with each other, deceiving the unaccustomed eyes. But for some, the colours of the tartan did not happen to be the most interesting thing. As the men increased their pace, the back of their kilts began to lift. And as the speed increased, the kilts rose higher. Up and up, slightly higher than before. There were a few suppressed female giggles that could be heard coming from within the crowd whenever a fragment of masculine thigh flashed here and there from underneath the flowing fabric. Many of those women, not only the youngest ones, who happened to stand in the front row, stood with seemingly indifferent facial expressions but what betrayed them were their eyes, travelling suspiciously low and hanging around the level of the kilts' bottom edge. Even some of the more mature women couldn't help themselves.

When the men completed the second clockwise rotation, they rapidly span around, facing the surprised guests, jumped and landed in unison, resulting in a loud thud as their feet all hit the floor simultaneously. For a few moments they stood motionlessly, allowing the music to build up the tension and as soon as bodhran's thud reached its peak and snapped, entering into another passage, they began dancing again in perfect unison to the rhythm.

This time the guests could take a full look at all the details of each costume. The fronts of the kilts, being straight and held in place by sporrans, didn't flow like the pleated rears, much to the women's hidden and unspoken disappointment. The men however, those who were interested, could now admire the heavy looking leather belts decorated artistically with carved silver buckles, the sporrans hanging below the belts and the different family brooches pinning the loose end of the kilt against the men's bright white shirts.

As they neared the end of the second anticlockwise rotation, it was then Albert suddenly broke away from the circle and without ceasing his routine, danced his way towards Candy.

"Well, my darling, are you ready for real fun?" he shouted out, kneeling on one knee before her and offered her his outstretched arm. And before she knew what she was doing, she found herself nodding. "Very well… take your shoes off." he commanded.

"What?"

"The Highland Dance has nothing to do with high heels. You can't wear them, trust me."

Still stunned, she held onto his stretch hand, took her shoes off and handed them to Annie. Then, Albert got up and pulled her towards the rest of the men.

"But Albert…" she whispered in his ear, once the circle closed around them. "I don't know the steps…"

He faced her and smiled. "Do you remember your dance on the beach in Waukegan? This will be something similar, just faster. Just watch and fly with me."

Later she couldn't tell what exactly happened but she _was _flying. As they spun, the circle around them spun in the opposite direction, she was jumping, clapping, tapping, laughing… She suddenly remembered those wild dances on Pony's Hill. Albert was right, this kind of the dance just couldn't be performed in shoes on…

When she thought she could take no more, Albert grabbed her firmly in his arms, spun her one more time in the air and then stopped. "People, I love my wife!" he screamed out all of the sudden. "I want all of you to know that I'm the happiest man on Earth!"

"You are drunk or crazy, Albert!" Archie's laughter came from the outer circle around them.

"Both, Archie, both!" Albert yelled back.

And it was then that the sound of the bagpipes stretched to one single note and faded, accompanied by the last, loud thud of the dancer's feet. There were a few seconds of silence and then, one by one, the guests began to clap. They were a bit hesitant at first but as more and more guests joined in, the entire ballroom soon erupted in an explosion of applause.

Candy stood in the centre of the circle still holding onto Albert's arm, her face still clearly flushed from the crazy dance but also brightened by a happy smile, despite her breathlessness. When she finally managed to get a hold of herself, she lifted her head and looked up, meeting her husband's gaze. His eyes shone mischievously. "Wow…" she breathed out, impressed, touched, amused, all at the same time, "…and I thought _I_ went public with my speech on our engagement…"

"I couldn't help myself."

Candy glanced around quickly and couldn't stop the inner giggle that shook her body as she noticed that there were puzzlement, shock and even scandal painted all over some of the guests' faces, especially the old matrons. _Especially_ the old matrons. This moment was just too priceless. Her husband, this carefully educated but free spirited man, couldn't restrain himself from shaking off their stiff upper-lipped society a little by breaking a few rules. Oh, she could already imagine all those comments that would spread around the city tomorrow! And who knows what else he had on his mind!

She turned her eyes to Albert once again. "And here I was, afraid of merely tripping over my dress! I had no idea that _you_ would the one to _deliberately_ cause a little scandal, and furthermore – take great enjoyment in doing it." She said, smiling fondly.

"There are many things you still don't know about me, baby." He replied, winking at her as he did.

Oh, that was something that she didn't have the slightest doubt about. She could bet her annual salary that he had many, many things to surprise her with when she least expected it. "I have no doubt." She stated softly, raising her hand and tenderly stroking his cheek. She felt a great temptation to kiss him right there and right now, to show him how much she appreciated this display of his feelings in public but she couldn't bring herself to do so. It didn't matter that kissing him in front of all these people would have caused not only a sensation, but rather, a capital scandal – it just didn't feel right. It was their personal thing, something they shared in private only and she didn't feel like having it exhibited and displayed in public. Instead, she leaned into his shoulder and whispered right into his ear, "Do you mind if I thank you for this later, baby?"

"I can't wait." He whispered back and hugged her even tighter. "After all, we were interrupted in the car..." he added suggestively.

When he loosened his grasp, she immediately understood that he was giving her a sign that she should back away as well. And just in time, too! As soon as they let go off each other's arms, she was promptly snatched away by her already waiting, very impatient and very excited bridesmaids.

"Oh, Candy!"

Both Annie and Patty literally hung themselves around her neck at the same time and she just didn't know who to hug first.

"That was amazing!"

"You just wait!" she muttered. "Some people might actually tell you that it was rather embarrassing…"

"Nonsense!" Patty protested lively, moving away from the embrace. "Stop worrying about what other people think. That was incredible! When did you learn it? Did you practice that somewhere, without us knowing?"

"Sure I did; on Pony's Hill about two decades ago." Candy snickered, letting go of Patty and reaching out to retrieve her shoes from Annie's hands. "No, Patty, I've never tried that before. But if feels like you don't need to know the steps, you know? The dance just takes you and makes you fly!"

"Yes, I know!" Patty squeaked, barely containing her excitement, "I felt the same! All I wanted to do was to take my shoes off and join you!"

"Well, hey, Patty, I'm not surprised!" Albert cut into their conversation. Until now he has been standing just a step away but had now moved closer and joined their merry trio. "I guess it runs in the blood. The Highlander is quite similar to the Irish Jig (43), no wonder then, it gets you going - you are quarter Irish after all. Try it yourself one day, if you liked it so much."

"You bet I will!" Patty exclaimed joyfully.

The other three laughed soundly at her impulsive promise.

"Now, if you would excuse me, girls…" Candy said, lowering her voice, "All wild dances have one thing in common: you perform them with bare feet. Your feet can take it, but your stockings can't. I will need to get changed. Honey…" she turned to her husband, "I'll be back soon."

"Sure." Albert nodded in reply and turned around to walk away. "_Later..._baby."

"I will go with you, Candy." Annie offered, when Albert disappeared amongst the sea of the crowd. "I want to see how little Patrick is. Patty, are you coming too?"

Patty shook her head. "No, no, you girls go ahead. If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here and… you know, _enjoy_ the view of the men wearing skirts…"

Both Annie and Candy laughed out loud, span on their heels and headed towards the staircase. Even when they were already some distance away, Patty could still hear their cheerful giggles.

The orchestra had begun to play their regular music again and then only moments later, the hallway regained its previous look as if nothing untoward had happened. There were just a few couples on the dance floor to begin with and as more and more couples began swirling around on the dance floor, Patty had no choice but to manoeuvre herself between them to get to the group of skirted men. All the men, each so different in their physical features yet so unified by their identical costumes, still stood on the edge of the dance floor bunched up together like a bouquet of tall, monotone pieces on a chessboard. Her eyes looked over the group and quickly spotted the one she was searching for. He stood amongst the other men, more observing everyone rather than fully participating in the lively chat with some of the women who now openly admired their kilts. She approached him and gently tapped him on his shoulder.

"I must say that that was impressive!"

The man winced minutely, surprised by the touch and then turned towards her. "Miss O'Brien!" he greeted her immediately.

"Yes, Mr. Johnson, that definitely is _my_ name," she joked, "…namely, the name of the person who is now absolutely stunned by the performance."

George inclined his head slightly to one side, his eyes closed. "I'm very glad to hear that you found our performance entertaining." He thanked courtly. "We all did our best to fulfil Sir William's wishes."

Patty suddenly remembered something. It was one word that had been running around in her head since it was mentioned, a word Candy said just before everything started… _'Them.'_

"Oh, Albert has always had rather original ideas," she smiled brightly. "…but was it _entirely _his? He isn't exactly known as an enthusiast when it comes to public performances like this one on the stairs… Something tells me that his unpredictable nephew had something to do with it…"

In reply, George looked her straight in the eyes for a moment. He didn't respond with a smile like hers but he wasn't all serious either. "I don't think it's my place to discuss my employers' plans." He replied politely.

She could have been swayed by his somewhat evasive answer but she didn't miss the glimmer of humour in his dark eyes. She also didn't miss the precise word he had used. "Aha! _Employers'_ plans, as in _plural_!" she pointed out victoriously. "Thank you for the clue, Mr. Johnson; now I know for sure that Archie was in on it as well as Albert. Come to think of it again – it's true; their entire family has always been full of surprises."

Finally, the slightest of smiles curled upwards on the corner of George's lips. "Indeed." he replied. The answer was simple, yet it wasn't confirming anything straight. _Typical, _she summed up to herself and immediately frowned inwardly, wondering when exactly she had started to pick up and name his reactions.

She mentally shook the thought off. Now, she could grab the opportunity and go on wondering out loud whether he was admitting Archie's involvement in the plan or commenting on the family being unpredictable but in the end, she decided not to. It wasn't what she really wanted to talk about. "Still," she coaxed him slowly, "it wasn't them that had surprised me the most."

"Then what was it, Miss O'Brien?"

Before she could reply, Patty felt someone bump into her. Luckily, she didn't lose her balance, the hit was more of an accidental poke on her back and the dancing couple that had caused it didn't even stop dancing, only apologizing and laughing as they continued on their merry way. It was becoming clear that it was getting a little bit too crowded for her liking to carry on comfortably with their conversation. Softly, she clasped her gloved hand on the sleeve of George's shirt and with a nod she motioned him towards the windows where the crowd wasn't as dense. He followed her silent request and after a few moments of squeezing their way through the mass of guests, they finally found themselves away from the joyful mess on the dance floor. The fresh, night air breezing in through the open window here was a nice improvement from the heat of the day and she welcomed it with relief.

"Not 'what', Mr. Johnson but _'who'._" She corrected him, getting back to the subject. "It was _you_."

George's dark eyes grew a little wider. "Me?" he asked, visibly surprised.

"Yes, you, Mr. Johnson." she nodded with a smile. "I mean, the entire show was great, but all these men are either Scottish or has Scottish ancestors, or at least somehow related to the family, and as such, they are supposed to know their heritage. But you..?" she inquired, once again making a mental note of his features: the dark brown hair, the strikingly dark, nearly black eyes and the slightly olive skin, so contradicting the image of a typical Scotsman she had in her mind. She wasn't an expert of course by no means but she had always thought of Scots to have a rather blond or reddish hair and definitely lighter-skinned. "Forgive me if I'm being too inquisitive, but are you Scottish too?"

George shook his head gently before replying. "No, I'm not." he said. However, he did not go into further detail.

Patty wasn't going to give up. "How can you know this dance so well then?"

"Does one have to be a Scott to learn of Scottish traditions, Miss O'Brien?" George shrugged his shoulder lightly. "I've been living with the Andrew's family since I was ten and they made me learn everything along with a few other kids that age. Also about their national heritage."

"I see..." she nodded. As a sudden surge of cool air came through the window and ruffled her hair, she couldn't help but use 'getting her flowing hair under control' as an excuse to remain silent for the moment. She needed this moment, for her thoughts had begun to gallop and gain pace like a herd of wild horses.

Never before had she found, or even thought it interesting, to ask how long he had been in the Andrews' employ but now, thanks to seemingly insignificant information that had slipped out from him, she began to understand that his situation was more unusual than she had initially thought. Raised with other kids but never being one of them, in his adult years, from what she had heard from the family tales, being Albert's official tutor and caretaker, and now, his most trusted employee… By Albert's closest family, he was being treated more like a family member, yet, he was never officially recognized as one – no wonder then, why he might have felt alienated, suspended, never fully being either a fully fledged family member or just a regular employee…

Now she really understood more. Since their evening meeting at the lake three months ago, he had spiked her interest, simply, as a person – and she had been observing him discreetly, without him knowing, whether it was at little Patrick's baptism or Albert's birthday dinner or any other times that she had visited the mansion. And she had ascertained herself in her earlier opinion; he really _was_ that type of a person who usually remained invisible despite being present. It didn't matter that he was always around, seemingly right in the front row – but in the end, when his assistance wasn't required anymore, he was being left to himself. She had no doubt why people from the Andrews social circle behaved this way towards him – at the end of the day, acting like they were better than the rest of the world and politely ignoring everybody who was even slightly below their social position was what all those cocky rich men _always _did. But she never liked it and now she disliked it even more. She simply understood how George could have felt. Not that it could really compare, but she had been through the sort of same thing when she was at school. It changed when she met Candy, but she still remembered the dread of feeling all alone in a huge crowd and if she could do something to lessen somebody else's isolation, just like Candy did for her at school, she decided that she would. Besides, he did that for her once too, on that memorable evening and she was still feeling grateful for it, she now wanted to make it up to him for showing her his care back then. She wanted him to know that someone _was _paying attention to him after all.

Realizing that she was still absently combing her hair with her fingers, she snapped out of her thoughts. Slowly and casually, she dropped her hands and looked up, searching for her companion's gaze. "You know, Mr. Johnson…" she picked up the conversation, lightly, as if the long moment of silence never happened, "To me, Scottish always equalled bagpipes. I'm sorry; it's just a stereotype I can't get rid off from my mind. So, since the Andrews made you learn everything, am I correct in assuming that your schooling also included playing the bagpipes?"

"Yes, you are, Miss O'Brien." George confirmed in a calm tone. "But everyone should be grateful that no one required me to play them tonight. I do know the theory of playing bagpipes - but I do not possess the skill of _performing_. I'm afraid that any of my attempts would be… well, ear twistingly horrific. It always has been."

The contrast between the seriousness of his voice and the healthy sense of humour towards his own person was so surprising, that Patty couldn't help but laugh sincerely. "I didn't get the chance to judge your skills of playing bagpipes but I have seen the dance and that's enough." she uttered after getting hold of herself. "But I've noticed how coordinated you all were and I bet you must have practiced before?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, we all did. Two months ago Sir William called a secret meeting for all the men from the family and proposed this dance as a surprise. He asked me if I wanted to join in and I agreed."

"And I must say you did great!" she praised him in a friendly tone. "I watched quite closely to the steps and all the moves and I presume that this dance must have taken a massive amount of stamina! Your condition is truly impressive!"

She noticed with surprise how the man before her blinked a couple of times, as if couldn't believe his ears at first. "That's…" he paused, as if not knowing what to say next, "…very flattering. Thank you."

"And…" she continued merrily, "if I'm not too bold to add... you present yourself very handsomely in a Scottish kilt. You might not be Scottish but it still suits you wonderfully."

"I don't deserve such nice compliments…" George opposed her, quietly, bowing his head once more, this time lower. "…but thank you anyway, Miss O'Brien."

"To the contrary; both are very much deserved." She informed him in a matter-of-factly tone, still smiling. "And please, don't be so serious. I saw the way you were smiling during the dance and it was either because you really enjoyed it or…" she hung her voice meaningfully, "you faked it, for the sake of appearances." she finished boldly. "Nevertheless, I know that you are at least _physically _capable of a real smile."

George's polite smile, thus far barely noticeable, widened visibly. "Oh, you got me there, Miss O'Brien." he admitted, his voiced warmed up with amusement. For a second, she wasn't sure which of the theories about his smile she had just presented to him that he was admitting to but her curiosity was satisfied as he added, "As a matter of fact, I did enjoy it, I really did."

"See, Mr. Johnson?" she chimed victoriously, glad that she had guessed right. "Much better."

A sudden slam of a car door came from outside, briefly distracting her for a moment. Just out of instinct, she glanced in the direction and noticed one of the drivers doing something around the other side of the car.

"And you, Miss O'Brien?" a quiet question came through clearly to her ears, despite the loud music. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"I am." She replied without hesitation and turned to face him again. "I'm enjoying it a lot, thank you."

George was still smiling lightly but to the contrary, his dark eyes were looking at her, typical for him, in a serious way. "I'm truly glad to see that you are fine, Miss O'Brien." He said warmly. "It's good to have a reason to smile again."

His voice was calm and toned - something that didn't exactly go with the usual exaggeration of the ballroom conversations. A weird thought began to creep into her mind that perhaps he wasn't only using polite, trite phrases just to keep the conversation going… His interest seemed genuine and when she realized what he might have been referring to, her smile from being cheery also became a little softer and mused. Was it possible that he was still concerned about her and the feelings she had had for Albert, especially tonight?

"It is indeed, Mr. Johnson." she agreed quietly. She wanted him to know that she was really okay now, that it was partially, or perhaps even mostly thanks to him and now she had quite a good opportunity to somehow tell him so. "I…"

"Patricia!" a male voice called out her name from somewhere within the crowd, interrupting her before she began.

She ignored it and with her mouth open, she took a reassuring breath, wanting to continue the subject. But the voice repeated her name again, this time it sounded much closer and it was impossible to ignore someone calling her from such close proximity. She exhaled, sighing quietly and gave George an apologetic smile before turning towards the caller. "Hello, Connor!" she greeted the man when he approached.

The newcomer nodded briefly towards George and immediately focused all his attention on her again. "I've been looking for you everywhere." he said endearingly. "Would you give me the honour again and dance with me?"

"Well…" she hesitated. The proposition of a dance was tempting but she didn't want to leave George so rudely. "To be honest, I was actually…"

But she didn't have a chance to finish.

"Oh please, do not say 'no'…" Connor cut into her sentence theatrically, with his hand pressed to his chest, "I will be heartbroken if you reject me!"

Being in a generally great mood that she was in tonight, she couldn't help but laugh at his antics and didn't have to wait long for his reaction. He must have taken her amusement as a sign of agreement because he clasped her hand and she barely had enough time to give George one more apologetic smile before she was pulled towards the dance floor.

"I've told you this like a dozen times tonight already but I will say it again…" Connor murmured seductively, leaning closer to her ear as they proceeded to walk through the busy, chatting crowd. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight, Patricia…"

Indeed, it wasn't the first time she had heard it from him tonight and she wasn't surprised that he was up to his bag tricks again. The compliment would have _maybe _impressed her a few years ago, when she was just a naive girl but today it wasn't making any huge impact on her. She knew all too well her own generation and its preferences when it came to its life style and behaviour to fall for carelessly given, insignificant compliments.

"And _I've_ wondered like a dozen times how many other women have you tried to charm in that way tonight." she chimed charmingly, easily finding the right, light tone.

"Jealous?"

She noted mentally that he didn't even try to deny it. "Absolutely..." she paused for effect, "...not! I didn't have time to be jealous. I was too busy on my own."

"With who?"

She didn't even think for a second that he would really want to hear the real answer. "Jealous?" she challenged him instead.

"Of you? Always." Connor replied before bursting with laughter and then smartly led them between the swirling couples.

It wasn't the first time they had danced tonight and she had to admit that after all those dances, she felt surprisingly good in his company. He was a good dance partner, leading well into new figures and steps and still having enough energy to amuse her with his latest anecdotes. Since Candy's birthday, she had met up with him on a few more occasions and she had actually grown to like his spontaneous character. Even though he was a little fickle, which was in a total opposite to her real self, he was at least honest about it. And without any doubts, he made one great companion when it came to having fun. It was nice to have him around once in awhile.

"So… did you like their Scottish show?" she managed to ask at some point, as they danced.

"It was good."

"Good?" she couldn't believe her ears. "I thought it was fascinating!"

"Well, it was… unusual." He admitted reluctantly but without any enthusiasm or excitement. "Captivating perhaps, but not really my cup of tea. I wouldn't be able to do anything like that myself. I definitely prefer modern dances."

Since they were moving along the dance floor, they found themselves again near the orchestra and both fell silent as it was impossible to hear each other due to the loudness of the music coming from the speakers. As the crowd didn't move fast enough forward, it forced them to remain there until the dance was over. Connor didn't let go of her and shaking her head in amusement, she let him lead her into a slow foxtrot. The music was still loud but at least a little slower and she had more time to finally enjoy the dance, not only just solely focusing on keeping up with the dance steps.

Once or twice, as they turned, she faced the crowd that gathered on the side where the windows were and it was during one of these turns, her eyes briefly met somebody else's and she had a weird feeling that it wasn't coincidental. She didn't get to see if she was right but soon she would have another opportunity to glance in the same direction from above Connor's shoulder. And indeed, as she did, she made sure she was right, this time her eyes almost immediately met a pair of very dark, male ones. She deliberately misplaced the steps, forcing her dance partner to stay still in one position until they could resume the steps accordingly with the rhythm; thanks to this movement she had a few more precious seconds to look more carefully. This time she noticed more details; the concern in the man's eyes, the seriousness of his face and the general, as always a little sad serenity his entire kilt clad body was emanating.

_He really does look as if he was worried for some reason. Is it about me or something else?_ She mused as they danced away, now not even listening to the story Connor began telling her, only acknowledging him idly by nodding. Within an instant, she started to regret that she so easily allowed the very fragile atmosphere of understanding between her and George to be destroyed. She was set so firmly on showing this lonely man some friendly attention and perhaps chasing away his own isolation, even if only for a moment – and how long did her firmness last, she scolded herself? Just _one_ moment of coaxing her into going and having more fun – that's what it took – and here she was, indeed having fun, dancing and listening to something that was undeniably amusing but in the end, also short lived – therefore utterly meaningless.

As soon as the position of the foxtrot allowed her do so, her eyes once again travelled in George's direction. And he was still there. Quickly, not wanting to miss the opportunity, she smiled to him warmly, slightly inclining her head in a gesture of acknowledging his presence and concern. In reply, he mimicked her movement, as if showing her that he had noticed and understood and it was all she saw before she was carried off again.

With her lips smiling to the story Connor was telling, but inwardly she was smiling to herself out of an entirely different reason, she had made a decision. As soon as the dance was over, she would go and talk to him again. It didn't matter that she couldn't really think of a way of starting the conversation over again – she wanted to believe that she would still be able to come up with something and later they will somehow regain the previous, almost friendly atmosphere. Or, she could at least apologize for leaving him so abruptly.

With the decision made, she nodded to herself inwardly and focused again on what Connor was now saying to her. She cut in with the some questions here and there and he replied teasingly but when it came to another twist and turn, her eyes somehow gained their own will and shot a glance in the direction of the windows. But now she only saw a group of women chatting lively and laughing at something one of them had just said. George was gone.

She couldn't explain the slight tinge of disappointment that she felt from not seeing him where he had stood before. She quickly glanced around but the man was nowhere to be seen.

The orchestra finally finished the foxtrot and almost immediately began to play the Charleston. Connor wouldn't hear any of her protests and made her join him for this piece too. She had to admit it; he was really good at this dance, and so were many of these youngsters that had now filled the dance floor. The Charleston was the number one dance of the young generation of flappers and she liked it but deep down in hear heart, she preferred traditional dances much more. Besides, she was beginning to feel a little bit tired after so many hours of constant dancing and the Charleston wasn't exactly the easiest. So then when it was finally over she told him that she really could take no more and using the necessity of 'powdering her nose' as her perfect excuse, she left and headed for the ladies rest room.

O O O

**Author's notes:**

(40) This song is by Shania Twain (published in 1997). Sorry, couldn't resist it ;)

(41) Bodhrán - frame drum ranging from 25 to 65cm (10" to 26") in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45cm (14" to 18"). The sides of the drum are 9 to 20cm (3½" to 8") deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (nowadays synthetic heads, or other animal skins are sometimes used). The other side is open ended for one hand to be placed against the inside of the drum head to control the pitch and timbre.

(42) Exact name Highland Dancing - only one form of dancing to have been done in the Scottish Highlands the dancers dance on the balls of the feet. In many ways, Highland dancing evolved from solo step dancing, has much in common with ballet but while some forms of step dancing are purely percussive in nature, Highland dancing involves not only a combination of steps but also some integral upper body, arm, and hand movements. Even so, it is still considered a form of step dancing in that the main element of Highland dancing is concerned with footwork.

(43) The Jig (Irish: port) is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the sixteenth century and today most associated with Irish and Scottish country dance music. Jigs were originally in 2/4 time, but have been adapted to a variety of time signatures, by which they are often classified into groups, including light jigs, slip jigs, single jigs, and treble jigs.


	28. MIDNIGHT CHATS

**AN/ Many thanks to my Charming Shark, for support when I doubted**

**CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT: MIDNIGHT CHATS **

"Oh Annie, I'm so exhausted!" Candy moaned with laughter before collapsing lifelessly across the bed. They had just visited Annie's guest bedroom to see her sleeping son and they were now in Candy's bedroom. "I haven't danced like that in ages! I think I'm getting old!"

A delicate snicker of another female voice joined Candy's moans. "May I request you to move this ancient bottom of yours to the middle of the bed, Grandma Candy?" Annie demanded in almost perfect parody of Archie's voice from his earlier showing off, "Aunt Ann needs some _space_ for her poor arthritic bones to rest."

She too, launched herself in a totally un-feminine style onto the bed, and for a good few long moments, they both lied next to each other, their initially quiet giggle gradually becoming more and more hilarious. It was one of those absurd giggles that start from almost nothing and seem to feed on themselves until they become absolutely ridiculous and impossible to stop. That was exactly what happened to them; they laughed, breathed in deep to restrain themselves, cleared their throats only to once again, burst out with crazy laughter. The pattern repeated itself until they were both too exhausted to laugh any longer.

"Who said that laughter relaxes?" Candy whined. "Now I'm even more exhausted than before!"

"Oh, shush…" Annie scolded her, holding her stomach, "...and let me die in peace and quiet."

Once more Candy's giggles filled the air but it was now weak and died down as quickly as it started. Both friends continued lying down on the bed, now only resting in silence and allowing the tiring effects of the attack of mad laughter to slowly fade away.

The first one to stir was Candy. She lifted herself up on her elbow, sat up and bent over slightly to take off the shoes that somehow still remained on her feet. She wiggled her toes, relieved that she could once again free them from the rather tight fitting prison of the high heels and she hissed quietly when the sensation of pins and needles spread to the rest of her feet. "Boy, I came here to change my stockings but right now I wouldn't mind changing feet if was also possible." She groaned. "My legs are killing me!"

Annie sat up too. "Do you know what…? Why don't you have a quick bath then?" she offered her a suggestion. "You know, you will refresh yourself and relax…"

"Stop tempting me, Annie…" Candy pleaded, "Once I'm in, I'm not going to come out."

"Shower then." Annie insisted. "Five, perhaps ten minutes is all you'll need."

Candy considered the idea for a moment and then shook her head to push the alluring vision of a steaming hot bath aside. "No…" she declined. "I think I will manage somehow, until the party is over; it's not that long, maybe an hour before we call it a night… After, I will soak myself in a proper bath."

"Candy, trust your more experienced friend and take a shower _now_." Annie looked at her surprisingly firm, even though she was looking at her friend with a meaningful smile, "You won't have time after the party. A certain _someone _might not give you even a minute to yourself."

Finally, Candy felt something close to the legendary, imaginary light bulb that suddenly lit up above her head and she finally got 'it' – something she should have understood rather well on her own. Who should have known better than herself on how eager her man was?

Oh no, she wasn't going to protest any longer against the idea of a quick shower. "Will you wait for me?" she asked.

"Of course!"

With Annie's help she unzipped and took off her dress, removed all the jewellery and keeping only her underwear on, she sprinted towards the direction of the bathroom. Once there, she looked around, remembering that somewhere here, she had earlier left her shower cap. She found it stuffed in the drawer, took it out and carefully put it over her painstakingly stylized hair. Surprisingly, the braid still held but she couldn't afford to get it wet.

Annie was right; a hot shower really refreshed her aching body. Even though it was a quick one, more methodical rather than pleasant, it still worked its magic on her. And when she was done, she went a step further; she switched the taps, so now she had the cold water running instead. Taking a deep breath to brace herself, she stepped in. The initial contact with the freezing cold water had her shout out unwittingly but she held on bravely and a moment later she was able to resist the cold without screaming. She only snorted, loudly. She stood there until her body began to seriously shake but the small price was worth the reward; when she finally finished the ablutions, she felt like she was reborn, restored to life.

"What's up with the screaming?" Annie asked when she finally came out of the bathroom, already dried and ready to get dressed again. "I would have thought you were being murdered in there."

"Yes, I was being murdered by the freezing cold water." She retorted, laughing.

"Now, did you need a cold shower to refresh yourself… or perhaps to calm yourself down?" Annie carried on, now in a more teasing tone.

Instead of answering, Candy stuck her tongue out at Annie and laughed quietly as she sat down on the corner of the bed. Pulling a new pair of stockings up her legs kept her busy and silent for a few minutes and only when she was done with them, she retrieved the dress that Annie had in the meantime, lay flat on the bed. She unhurriedly put it back on, letting her friend to finish off by zipping up the fitting built into the corset.

"And don't forget these beauties…" Annie reminded her, presenting the delicate diamond necklace, bracelet and Aunt Elroy's earrings on her open palms.

"I'm really feeling a little weird wearing such expensive jewellery, you know?" Candy confessed, picking up the bracelet and the earrings. "It just feels like they shouldn't belong with me…"

"Don't say such silly things." Annie stood behind her, moved her hair aside and fastened the necklace. "It's a family heirloom for the family head's bride to wear and you _are _the bride. Moreover: I think you add a real glamour to this necklace."

Candy cast her friend a sideway glance. "Shouldn't you rather say that it's the other way round?" she corrected.

"Nope." Annie replied and both women smiled.

"You know, Annie..." Candy decided as she picked up the earrings from her own palm, "I think I will skip the earrings for the rest of the evening. With all due respect to the rules, these emeralds are quite heavy and my ears hurt from it..."

She stood up, went to her dressing table and carefully placed the earrings into the jewellery box, with the rest of her jewellery. Then she came back and sat down again on the bed, in silence, struggling with the complicated fastener on the bracelet for a moment before finally succeeding.

"Annie…" she began after this moment of silence between them. "How… how is it on the wedding night?"

The question was quiet but in the silent bedroom it sounded as loud as a scream.

"You mean…" Annie hesitated, surprised by such a sudden change of subject, "you mean you want to know what happens between husband and wife?"

"What? N-no!" Candy shrieked, shaking her head fervently. "Don't forget, they did teach us human anatomy back at the nursing school... and also about the 'discreet' parts of the body, so I'm not totally oblivious to it…

She trailed off unexpectedly, not really knowing what to say. Despite everything that the three of them, herself, Annie and Patty had shared, the subject of very intimate life had never been brought up between them other than in jokes, and now, unaccustomed to talking about such delicate matters in a serious way, she couldn't find the right words. And she knew she needed to know. It was something she could probably discuss only with another female friend. Amongst the few whom she really trusted, Annie was the only person who had any experience. She just couldn't bring herself to ask anyone else.

"I know _how _everything goes, at least technically…" she carried on, embarrassed, "It's more that I wanted to know how it really _feels_ and…"

She felt a delicate hand covering hers. "Candy…" Annie asked softly, "Are you scared?"

"Scared?" Candy exclaimed, straightening her back. "No, why would I be scared? I finally married the man who makes me very happy, whom I love like crazy, whom I couldn't wait to marry… Why should I feel nervous about anything…"

She trailed off again under Annie's soft but meaningful look. Her shoulders slowly softened their rigid position and drooped and a quiet sigh of resignation came from her mouth. "Am I so obvious?" she asked quietly.

Annie smiled leniently upon hearing insecurity in her friend's voice. "No, not to others." she said as she shook her head. "_I_ can see it clearly because it wasn't so long ago that I was in your shoes."

Candy gave her friend a questioning look, prompting her to say more.

Annie yielded to her silent request. "I too couldn't wait to marry Archie." she continued. "And just like you, I too wasn't totally oblivious to what was going to happen between us, my mom explained as much as she could to me, even though it was in her awkward, lady-like way. And yet, my knowledge and my love for Archie didn't stop me from being nervous. I shook like a jelly."

"And…" Candy inquired further, finally gaining some courage to ask the right question, "did it… hurt? You know… the 'first time'? I've heard so many whispers about this…"

"I thought you would have asked this." Annie replied, squeezing her hand gently. "It did hurt me. It usually does, though not always, that's what I've heard. But even then, it's nothing you can't take and it will soon pass, you just have to relax and give yourself some time to…" Annie hesitated for a second, looking for the right word, "you know, adjust… And later… later, you won't even remember it at all, I promise. It's just that now you are worried. It's normal; it is your first time after all…"

Candy nodded, acknowledging her friend's advice. "But you know… there's something I don't get. We had a moment a few months ago when we lost control a bit… and 'it' almost happened..." she confessed suddenly, encouraged by her friend's own story and the intimate trust that has built up between them over a lifetime. "And this is what makes it ridiculous. We were on a brink of doing 'it' and yet, I don't remember myself being nearly half as nervous as I am now… Back then, it just happened, I felt ready for whatever he wanted to do to me and now I'm even more eager, more prepared and yet, I'm nearly falling apart… I just don't understand it…"

"I think you just answered your own dilemma." Annie declared decisively after listening carefully. "Like you said, back then it was spontaneous. Right now you keep thinking about it and this is what is making you feel so nervous! Just stop." She advised her. "Stop thinking and just let 'it' happened. Stop using your brain and let your body lead you instead. Knowing you two, I'm sure you will have a wonderful wedding night."

Candy nodded again, clinging onto her friend's words. Yes, with everything being said out aloud, she could actually see that Annie had a point about thinking about it, too much. "Thanks, Annie." Candy whispered as she turned and embraced her friend. "I think this is what I needed to hear..."

"You're welcome, sweetie." Annie said sincerely and returned the hug, rubbing Candy's back reassuringly. "This is what the ever wise and experienced Aunt Ann is for!

Candy couldn't help but to laugh at her friend's attempt to restore a brighter mood. And the joke actually worked; she felt better already. At the end of the day, she _wanted_ all of it to happen and that was what mattered wasn't it?

She let go of her friend and bent over to put her shoes back on. When had she finished, she got up and stood in front of her friend, reaching her hand out to her. "Shall we get back downstairs, my lovely Aunt Ann?" she asked in the same playful tone.

"Absolutely, my dear Grandma." Annie accepted her hand, joining in on the joke. "You don't want to miss the ending of your own party, do you?"

They linked their arms and walk towards the door but just before Candy reached for the door handle, she stopped and as if remembering something. Without a word, she let go of Annie's arm and trotted back to her dressing table.

"You forgotten something?"

"Yeah, just one little thing…" Candy replied lightly, picking up a small, crystal perfume bottle. _Yes, I promised... once we were married... _She smiled to herself mischievously at the gold letters 'D'Jone' printed on the label before sliding the bottle into her purse. "Just one little thing… For _later…_"

O O O

After the visit that she paid to the guest's bathroom, Patty felt like what she really needed was fresh air. That, - and being alone for a moment. For the past couple of hours, she had been constantly either dancing or chatting or both at the same time and now she was dying for some solitude, even if it was going to be for just a few minutes.

Quickly, moving along the walls of the main hall to avoid the overcrowded dance floor of young people, she got to the busy dining room. The great grandfather clock on the wall was showing three minutes after two am and Patty decided that she still had plenty of time before the party ended and in the meantime, she could easily go for a quick walk by the lake. Her parents' house in Florida was near the beach and she had gotten used to being near the open water so much that when she moved back to Chicago, Lake Michigan drew her in like a magnet, each and every day. Back in Florida, she could go to the beach, even in the middle of the night, had she only wanted to and at night time was precisely what she loved, but here, living in the very centre of Chicago, she couldn't do that. At the mansion however, she had the perfect opportunity to do so, safely and pleasantly and she wasn't going to miss that for anything.

She stepped outside and walked onto the brightly lit up but empty terrace, she stopped and idly wondered how it was that no one was here right now. Only after a moment, the sounds of the never boring Charleston coming from behind made her realize why; most probably the majority of the guests, especially the young ones were dancing their feet off right now and the older generation wasn't as fond of going outside in the middle of the night as the young was. She wasn't going to complain of course; it looked like she had the garden just to herself, at least for the time being, and she was more than fine with that prospect.

With her head up, she looked at the moon's crescent and wasn't aware that she was beginning to smile to herself as she slowly descended the stairs. The black gravel crunched quietly under her shoes as she stepped off the stairs and onto the path, she instinctively slowed down even more. The path was even but earlier this evening, she had noticed that its surface was a little soft here and there and she didn't want to risk having her high heels being suddenly trapped in the soil and causing her to trip over…

The path, separated from the rest of the garden by the tall rose bushes that led in both directions along the stairs, forked out at the end and she chose to turn left, towards the part of the garden that was less well lit up. The lights were set up mostly in the central part of the garden but the sides, as well as the further reaches near the coppice, didn't have any extra light. This was what she needed; some secluded dark place that provided privacy.

When the path split, Patty turned right, choosing the one that would take her towards the lake. As she past and left the bushes behind her, a small dot-like reddish glow from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Curious, she came to a full stop. If it wasn't for this tiny glow, she would have probably passed by the dark fountain and carried on walking, without even noticing at all that somebody was sitting on its edge, almost perfectly hidden in the deep shadows cast by the tall rose bushes. Only now, when she stopped and allowed her eyes to slowly adjust to the darkness was she able to distinguish a black silhouette and its movements. Somebody here was smoking a cigarette. Once again, faint sparks floated upwards and lit up brightly as this mysterious person inhaled and through the reddish glow, she could now clearly see his closed eyes and the rest of his face.

Her first reaction was to simply join him; meeting him here, alone, without anything or anyone around that could interfere, felt almost as if she was being given the perfect golden opportunity to carry on with their earlier interrupted conversation. But then, it had occurred to her that there was a slight chance that she might have been the only one who wanted to carry on and by joining him, _she _would be representing an interruption – to him. He sat there looking as he had sought some solitude too and she didn't want to appear to be rude by spoiling that.

Her hesitation made her stay on the same spot for too long; as the tip of his cigarette brightened up again, she noticed that this time, he had opened his eyes and that they immediately travelled in her direction, alerted by her movement.

She had been noticed.

As he stood up, she realized that she had not much choice left; ignoring him _now_ would have been more rude that interrupting him.

"I didn't know you smoked, Mr. Johnson." She said, not even taking a step in his direction. She first wanted to get the impression if she was welcomed here or not. If she wasn't, she could still politely back away.

"I do, Miss O'Brien. Sometimes." he confirmed her question. "But if you mind me smoking in your presence, just say the word, please."

She sighed inaudibly, appreciating his answer. She wasn't a hundred percent sure but she sensed that she had been given a green light. He wouldn't be asking her for permission to smoke in her presence if she wasn't welcomed here. "That's okay." She replied. "Not that I like cigarettes, I can bear them outside. But…" she added, wanting to know for sure, "is it okay with you if I join you? I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"Not at all, Miss O'Brien."

She heard his reply and the tip of his cigarette lip up once more as he inhaled deeply. It took a moment before she heard him exhaling the smoke and finally adding, "I was only getting some fresh air."

"Fresh air... with a cigarette?" she blurted out questionably, coming closer. Merely seconds later she realized how totally ill-mannered it must have sounded and stopped, biting her lower lip hard and slapping herself mentally.

But his reaction surprised her.

"Touché, Miss O'Brien, touché."

From the tone of his voice, she knew that he was smiling.

His words were quickly followed by a quiet hiss, just audible, but she had no clue as to what the source of this sound was.

"Allow me to correct myself then: I was getting some fresh air... for my thoughts."

She sighed with relief, glad that he didn't take her impulsive words as an offence. "That's what I came out for, too." "I like the breeze from the lake."

"Indeed." A languorous answer came from the shadows, "The breeze from the lake refreshes one's inner thoughts and makes things clearer. It's good to breathe it in."

"Yes..." she replied. She had no idea what he really wanted to say by that but she liked the quasi-philosophical style he had used to deliver his statement. But his statement also made her, once again, doubt if she wasn't interrupting him. "But Mr. Johnson... If you came here to have some peace and quiet..." she took the risk and asked, "are you sure you don't want me to leave? I was actually on my way to the lake and I could just carry on..."

"Miss O'Brien..." George cut her off gently, "Trust me when I say that you are not interrupting. I feel honoured that you want to join me."

"Okay then..." she nodded, now relieved that she wasn't intruding on his privacy. Slowly, she walked towards the fountain and sat on its edge, watching as George finally emerged from within the shadows. Since she was sitting, her eye level was lower than if she had been standing and maybe that's why her attention was first brought to the wet, glass ashtray he held in his hands. But he wasn't smoking anymore and within an instant, she understood the nature of the weird sound a few moments earlier. It was the hiss of his cigarette being extinguished.

And as he bent over to place the ashtray on the marble edge of the fountain, she also realized why he hid so easily in the darkness; he was all dressed in black, except for the front of his shirt, still visible from underneath his tuxedo.

"Mr. Johnson, what happened to your kilt?" she asked.

"I got changed." George explained the obvious, straightening up. "It was only required for one dance."

"But still, you could have at least kept it on until the party was over..." she suggested.

"Everyone got changed, Miss O'Brien."

A seemingly simply explanation for everything and yet, as always, a little evasive... She understood, of course, he wouldn't wear the outfit if others didn't but that didn't stop her from feeling a little disappointed.

"It's just that it's such a pity that such beautiful attire is not going to be on show any longer." She complained facetiously. "Okay, fine..." she gave up, shrugging, "since I'm being deprived of the view of handsome Scotsmen, can you at least console me by telling me something more about those kilts you wore?"

When he calmly nodded in agreement, she went on with the questions that had been plaguing her head since the first moment she saw their group coming down the stairs and which she didn't get the chance to ask her friends.

"I have seen kilts before but none of them looked like those that were worn tonight. None of you had jackets on and it's probably ridiculous what I'm going to say next but the kilts seemed to me to be made from a single piece of fabric..."

"They don't _seem _to be_, _Miss O'Brien, they _are_." George pointed out. She could almost feel her eyes popping out of their sockets in shock at her crazy theory being confirmed; he must have noticed this because he smiled briefly and finally sat on the fountain's edge. "The kilts as you know them nowadays are already sewn into this final, famous skirt-like shape and all you have to do is just to put it on." He continued. "What we wore tonight was just a single piece of woollen fabric that you have to pleat manually on the floor and wrap around yourself, holding the pleats in shape with a belt. And we had no jackets because the original kilts from the sixteenth century didn't have any. The loose part of the fabric, the one held by the brooches…" she saw him gesturing across his chest, "can be also untied and worn over both shoulders, like a blanket. That's how people used to wear it back then."

His words indeed helped her understand the difference between both styles, though she fruitlessly tried to imagine how this 'pleating' that he called it, must have really looked like. _I guess I'm going to have to make sure that they will show me this one day… _She decided, really fascinated by the subject. "When you first appeared, on the stairs…" she said slowly, searching her memory, "Candy named your kilts as 'Big Scottish Kilts. What does that mean?"

"The Scottish Great Kilts." George corrected her automatically. "But it is its Scottish name that holds its true meaning. It's called a _'f__eileadh mor'_, which literally means a 'large wrap', simply because you wrap your body with it. To the contrary, the modern kilts are called '_feileadh beag' _or simply – _'little kilts'_.

It was weird to hear his voice, speaking in flawless English to suddenly gaining a hard, rhotic (44) accent when he pronounced the Scottish words and changing back to English again. It sounded so smooth, as if both languages were his native tongues and that he had no problems switching between the two. And she had no doubt about his accent – she could still remember that summer vacation in Scotland and way the locals spoke and sounded.

But she couldn't tell him that, for a tiny second, his words brought back the echo of that dreamy, lovely summer closer to her. She smiled inwardly once more from her memories and focused on the subject. "You said 'pleat manually'… Does that take a long time to finish dressing?" she continued her investigation.

"It does."

"That's why all of you had disappeared for so long!" she brightened at the discovery of the answer to her friends' earlier quest.

"Indeed." George confirmed. "We helped each other, otherwise it would have taken much longer. But I see that our absence was noticed anyway, despite our efforts…"

"There were about twenty of you and you had to pleat the kilts on the floor…" she carried on, searching her memory even more, "…so this means that you would have needed some space. A _lot_ of space, I reckon. And you came down from the first floor… Where did you all hide, in the solarium?"

"I'm impressed by your quick conclusion, Miss O'Brien." George smiled, raising one of his black eyebrows. "Yes, indeed; it was the only room big enough for all of us at once."

"Nice to hear I wasn't mistaken!" Patty exclaimed victoriously. "Now, since I know for sure, I finally understand what the _real _reason was for the room being suddenly locked at some point."

"And how did you know it was locked, Miss O'Brien?" George asked, visibly curious.

"Well, Candy and Annie were searching for their missing husbands and I was with them." She explained. "We ended up checking the entire first floor and got to the solarium too. Candy was really surprised when she found the door locked. She even went to ask the butler why but she was told that someone had spilt some water inside and he decided to temporarily exclude the room from public use, until the maids had cleaned up the mess… Now, when I come to think about it…" she trailed off for a moment, "I'm weirdly sure he was covering for you…. Am I right? Did he know?"

"He was and he did. "George confirmed, turning his eyes away and looking at the dense rose bushes in front of them. "We needed someone on the outside to redirect those who would get too curious. Not without reason, we heard the door handle move more than a dozen times."

"By us too, I'm sure." Patty couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "Good thing we were deceived. It would have been such a pity if Candy had managed to get hold of a spare key, get in and spoil such a wonderful surprise. She wouldn't forgive herself if she did. It was worth everything. So original and so romantic! I don't think there was one woman in there who wouldn't give anything to receive such a moving confession from her beloved..."

Here, she deliberately trailed off. And when the silence between them stretched for a little too long to remain natural, she finally heard the fabric of George's tuxedo move. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that he had turned towards her again. "Was it very hard... to watch it?" she heard his quiet question and she felt her heart skip a bit at the amazing gentleness in his voice. It was a surprisingly nice feeling to know that someone who wasn't her family or one of her closest friends was so concerned about her.

And she was glad that he had asked. So far, she was only beating around the bush, trying to warily steer the conversation in the right direction. The past years of being in different sorts of places and meeting different sorts of people, had perhaps, taught her how to smoothly sail through the etiquette of maintaining a neutral conversation. But when it came to touching anything that regarded anyone's _real_ feelings, she was just as clumsy as she had always been. But now she actually wanted to tell him something he deserved to know and his inquiry seemed to be open door for her to do so.

She looked up at him, held his serious gaze for a moment and then unhurriedly shook her head. "No." she replied as calmly as she could, smiling sincerely, "I'm fine now. It's good to see that at least some of us have reached for their dreams and actually managed to make them come true. It makes you believe you can too, one day."

With the words still on her lips, she could already feel the intensity of George's gaze on her increasing and she couldn't stop her inner impatience to hear his reply. "What about living the reality?" he asked seriously and she sighed inwardly with relief, having no more doubt that he understood her allusion. These were the words he had told her back then, at the lake.

"Oh, I_ am_ living it." She stated with a certainty and pride. And it was true. From that evening onwards, after maybe few more days of self pity, she had taken the reins of her life more firmly in her hands, focusing inwardly on herself and dusting off all her ideas, no matter if they seemed reasonable or crazy. And some plans, shyly at first, had formed in her mind. By now, some of them had already been set in motion and even though she was, so far, the only one who knew about them, she was glad that something was actually happening. "I'm living it," she repeated again, "and helping some of my smaller dreams come true. I'm making my little dreams become reality."

George's face slowly lost its serious look and his intense gaze also softened a little. "That's an attitude worth praising." He said warmly. "I'm really glad to hear what I hear."

"And you should, Mr. Johnson." She shouted, impulsively. Her natural shyness was slowly fading the more they talked and she finally felt ready to tell him what she really wanted to say. "What you told me three months ago, about loving life and making it worth living..." she reminded him, "you were right about it. I listened, I followed and I did something about it, so if you are _really_ glad to see me doing fine, you have the full right to – because it all happened, thanks to you."

As she finished, an absolute silence fell between them and if not for sounds of the loud music permeating through the open doors and windows of the mansion, she could swear she would hear her heart beating, fast and hard.

"Miss O'Brien..." George spoke finally, "I didn't..."

"I don't want to hear that you didn't do anything special, Mr. Johnson!" she cut in his half worded sentence firmly, despite her slightly shaking voice. "You did, I feel very grateful for it and you have no choice but to accept that someone _might_ actually feel truly grateful to you!"

It wasn't exactly how she wanted it to sound but what was done was done and it was too late to take her words back. Out of her suddenly spiking stubbornness, she decided that she would strike the iron while it was still hot.

"I didn't..." George repeated and quickly went silent again under her warning gaze. But to her surprise, his face unexpectedly softened again and a small but warm smile crept back onto his lips. "I didn't know that something I did out of rare impulse, something that I regard as insignificant would come out as something so special." He finished the sentence with "I'm glad I happened to be of help."

And suddenly, she found herself with a lack of words. She was so ready to lecture him about underestimating himself, even if it meant for her to be slightly rude and against her rules, and there she was, probably sitting there with a silly expression on her face and pondering how _very_ silly it was of her to assume that she could predict and pre-empt his answer. She couldn't really tell if he was indeed going to say that he didn't do anything special and later only quickly corrected himself or he was trying to say what he said right from the start, before she interrupted him so rudely...

But on the other hand... Yes, she would be voting it was the first option; he really was the first to make his actions less meaningful than they were. But if that was the case, if he just corrected himself... _So quickly he came out with the corrected version! What wit! _She thought, honestly impressed. She had underestimated him after all.

"You see..." she said slowly, finally regaining her speech, "That's much better."

In reply, George's smile widened more and he nodded. She nodded too, as if acknowledging her victory, glad that she had finally managed to let him know of all of this.

But she was done with talking about the past. She wanted to show _him_ some attention, whereas it was _her_ they were mostly speaking of. And she really liked to see him in a better mood.

And then something came to her. "Speaking of reality... What about you, Mr. Johnson?" she inquired. "Are you ready to face _yours?"_

Her question surprised him, she could see it in his eyes but that didn't crack his control over himself. "My what?" he asked, slightly taken aback.

"Your reality. A reality of seeing your face printed in tomorrow's morning newspapers." She explained, smiling playfully at his puzzled expression. "Let's see..." she stood up from the fountain's edge and made a motion as if she had opened an invisible newspaper to read. _**"'MOUNTAINERS ARE AMONGST US! LADY ANDREW DANCES WITH BARE FEET! WILDERNESS AND PROVINCE TAKES OVER THE BON TON!'**_" shechanted out the invisible headlines, pretending to be a news caster,"That is what we will see in the headlines. When you were dancing, there were flashes within the crowd where those invited reporters had stood and I'm sure that by now, they are already printing the early morning edition."

"I honestly doubt that they would print something like that." George shook his head but the smile of amusement didn't disappear from his face, "But even if they do... I won't be there. They were supposed to be focusing on the newlyweds and that's what they did."

"But this is where you are wrong, Mr. Johnson!" she exclaimed, glad that he had joined in with her teasing mode. "You couldn't see that, being focused on the dance steps, but I saw better and I know when and from where the photos were taken from. Just wait until morning press comes up. You will be there, I'm telling you!"

"I'm sure I won't."

His stubborn denial was challenging and Patty raised her eyebrow. "Fine." she said, crossing her arms. "Let's call it a bet, shall we?"

One of his black eyebrows shot upwards, mimicking the same movement as hers.

"A bet?"

"A bet." she repeated. "We both know that there will be an article about Candy and Albert so there's no point on betting on that. So, that just leaves you. You: printed or not to be printed; that is the question."

George didn't reply straight away but his hesitating smile told her that he was fighting with himself. "Alright, Miss O'Brien." he agreed slowly after a moment. "Let's call it a bet."

"A bet." She confirmed. "With dinner as the prize."

It didn't escape her how he had tensed at the word.

"Dinner?" he repeated.

"Yes, a friendly dinner for the winner and the loser pays." She chimed, realizing immediately that something didn't feel right; George's smile faded completely and his face became very solemn. "If you are even on just one of the newspapers tomorrow, you invite me, otherwise – it will be my treat."

"Miss O'Brien..." George shook his head slowly. "I'm fine with the bet as it is but please opt for a different prize. Dinner... is something I cannot do."

She too, dropped the playful tone. "May I ask why?" she probed delicately. It occurred to her that she might have perhaps gone too far with her mission of showing him some friendly attention. A dinner wasn't really something women asked men to go to and she didn't want to be misinterpreted that she was implying something. "Did my proposition… offend you somehow?"

"Offend?" George seemed to be perplexed by her suggestion. "Why ever would..." he went silent abruptly and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his face regained its usual calmness. "It's not offending at all, Miss O'Brien..." he carried on in a quiet, serious tone, "It's just that I simply couldn't attend dinner with you. I am not in place to do so as your friend's employee. It wouldn't do any good for your image if you were to be seen in my company."

"What?" it escaped her. To say that she was surprised would have been an understatement. From the moment he had refused, she had a storm of thoughts flooding her all at once; she feared that he felt offended or that she put him off by her insistence but this? She even thought that he backed off because he, perhaps, misunderstood her intentions, thinking that she was acting out for some romantic reasons – and all he was concerned was his _social status? _"Mr. Johnson," she said as calmly as she could, "Is that the _only_ reason? That's the absolutely only one thing you are concerned about?"

George nodded slowly.

"Then," she replied decisively, "if that is _the only _reason, please consider your refusal denied."

"Miss O'Brien…" George protested, just like she expected he would, "it really is inadvisable for you to be seen…"

"Nonsense!" she interrupted him quickly, already guessing where he was going with belittling his own person. "I don't see why I would have to deprive myself of the pleasure of going out for dinner with a _friend_ of the family. You _are_ one," she accentuated, "for the Andrews are like a real family to me; it's as simple as that. Therefore, if you really don't like the idea of dinner as a prize for our bet, I can reconsider, fine – but only if you foresee it to be burdensome and boring in my company."

"Miss O'Brien…!" George protested, this time more lively. "How can you even say I could find dinner with you boring? I'd be honoured if I could only go. But I'm _really_ not in any position to…

"Then denied." She dismissed shortly his attempts and with a flick of her hair, she turned around. Wanting to avoid any further discussion on the subject, she briskly walked away from the fountain towards the path. "We will see to the bet tomorrow." She added from above her shoulder. "For now, I believe we should finally get back. I don't want to miss the ending of the ball."

The crunching of the gravel behind her told her that George followed her. She didn't slow down but being that much taller than her, he didn't need much time and effort to catch up with her. "I never thought you could be so stubborn, Miss O'Brien." He said as soon as he got to her side.

"Neither did I!" she retorted contrariwise, glancing at him and smiling victoriously.

The music from the ballroom was heard more or less everywhere in the garden, for almost all the windows on the ground floor stood wide open, but so far, she had been ignoring it, letting it pass by her ears without really noticing what exactly was being performed. It was only now, as they approached the stairs, she focused back on the life inside the mansion. And recognizing the rhythm of the currently played piece, she couldn't help but let out a little sigh.

"Something wrong?"

"No..." she shook her head as they began to ascend the steps. "I'm just wondering if the orchestra is going to perform anything else tonight apart from the Charleston."

In the corner of her eye she noticed that George raised his hand and pushed the end of the sleeve up, partially revealing his wristwatch on the black leather strap. "As a matter of fact, they should have reverted back to classic already." She heard as he dropped his hand. "Why, Miss O'Brien, don't you like modern dances? I thought your entire generation is crazy about them."

"I do like them," she admitted, "but it's with the classics where my heart truly belongs."

"A modern woman with a classic taste then?"

Patty once again glanced to her side, smiling involuntarily. This man was truly interesting as a person; almost invisible despite his height, seemingly nonexistent despite being nearly always present and yet, with a surprisingly sharp eye when it came to observation; the description he had just given fitted her quite well… Maybe he could see _precisely_ this much thanks to staying in the shadows? "Yes… I suppose you could say that…" She agreed as they finally reached the top of the stairs and came out onto the brightly lit terrace. "What about you, Mr. Johnson? Except for the Highlander and a few ballroom dances at the beginning of the party I didn't see you dancing. Is it because the youngsters demanded more of the modern music?"

"No, Miss O'Brien. I didn't dance much because among the guests, I'm just a simple employee."

The surprising frankness of his answer, so unusual for him, stopped Patty literally in half movement. George's words set off something deep within her.

"And here you are, Mr. Johnson, underestimating yourself again!" she exclaimed passionately, clenching her hands into fists and glaring at his back as he stopped too, at her words. She didn't fully understand where the anger that filled her so suddenly had come from or whom she was angry with but one thing she knew; her secret mission from now on was to make this man drop his bad habit of belittling his person. "It's so wrong! Once again, you are _not _a simple employee; for all I know, you are more like a family member. Secondly, you did receive an invitation for tonight's party, didn't you? Don't deny it, please, I know you did because I personally helped Candy to write them all down! So, since you have an invitation, it means you are nothere tonight as part of the _staff _but like a regular, fully privileged _guest_! And _you _were the one who chose to walk the bride to the altar! Thirdly… Do you think Albert will be happy knowing that one of his friends deprives himself of having some fun in the name of some idiotic _rules_? It is a night of our friend's joy and you definitely shouldn't be standing aside! And that's why..." she paused to take a breath, surprised that she was able to say so much on one intake, "...That's why, not caring for some _rules,_ I want you to invite me to dance _right now!_ Otherwise…" she paused again, for another breath, thinking feverishly on saying something that would finally break his stubbornness, "otherwise I will break the _rules _and do it myself! Yes! I will do it, I will invite you to dance with me and I swear to you that I won't take 'no' for an answer!"

The terrace wasn't as empty as when she first left for the garden and at her words, some of the guests standing nearby began turning their head around to see what all the commotion was about. She immediately put a smiley face on and it must have been convincing enough because one by one, they lost their interest in the scene.

With the last of them back to minding their own business, George turned towards her. His face was inscrutable, emotionless but not his eyes. She could nearly feel how they bore into her, so fierce his was gaze. "Miss O'Brien, I do appreciate your proposition, trust me…" he said and to the contrary of his burning gaze his voice remained calm, "but I must decline. I am really no match for you and I wouldn't make a good partner to dance with."

"And why is that exactly? Are you perhaps afraid that you won't be able to keep up with me on the dance floor?" she demanded bravely, set firmly on using a joke, a scolding or any challenge to his manly pride or whatever it took, just to convince him. She didn't even want to wonder what happened to Patty who was embarrassed about having a little faux pas and appearing rude; now she was off the limits of control of herself and all she wanted was to make him bend to her will. "Are you telling me that someone who is capable of performing a very exhausting Highland Dancing cannot bear a simple waltz?"

Something winced in George's emotionless expression.

"Well, Mr. Johnson…?" she continued pressingly, "Are you going to let me go on and comment to everyone on how the Highland Dance was just a one-off and how disappointed I am that you are incapable of showing more? Or would you rather spare yourself from having your impressions tattered by simply proving to me your stamina on the dance floor?

There are men out there in the world who would have allowed this challenging of their manly pride go to pass without answering and she hoped George wasn't one of them.

And apparently, she wasn't mistaken. As George firmly outstretched his arm to her and bowed his head, in a gesture all men performed when they were inviting a woman to dance, she knew she had won. "The pleasure will be all mine, Miss O'Brien." He said.

With a smile of deep inner satisfaction, Patty accepted his hand.

O O O

"Okay, okay, what is that smile about?" Candy inquired.

"Smile? What smile?" Albert countered her, innocently.

The reception party was almost over and most of the guests from the city were slowly getting ready to leave but there were still many couples enjoying the last half an hour left on the dance floor. This included the newly married couple. The waltz was slow, allowing them to have a normal conversation, which they had promptly took advantage of.

"Oh, come on, you are beaming! Could it possibly be because you are secretly satisfied by scandalizing your guests, Sir Andrew?" she teased him.

"Nah…" he denied with a casual shrug of his shoulders, "that was just a tiny thing, not something even worth mentioning…"

"What do you mean by 'it's not worth mentioning'? You enjoyed every single bit of it, I know you did!"

Albert looked away but didn't stop smiling innocently. "It was really nothing."

"Okay, let's say I believe you… Then what are you thinking about?" she insisted and softly stroked her husband's thumb with her own, wanting to gently coax him into revealing what he seemed to enjoying hiding.

"We are wondering, Miss Curiosity, aren't we?" She was dismissed, yet again. But a second later, she felt his hand minutely brushing her back, replying to her in an entirely different dialog other than the one they had carried on, in words. "You don't want to know, my lady."

"To the contrary, I think I do." She stated, more and ever sure that it was worth it to hear out his thoughts, no matter what they were. "You look like a cat that's been sipping on the cream… Come on, Sir Andrew… tell me your little secret… What's on your mind?"

Her husband's eyes locked with hers again and she noticed that they were shining with mischievous fire. "Only impure thoughts, my sweet, only impure thoughts, if you really must insist on knowing…" he revealed finally and after a meaningful pause, without even lowering his voice, he added, "I was thinking of the best ways to seduce my wife."

If the intensity of the heat that suddenly flooded her cheeks was any judgment, Candy could swear she was beetroot red now. "Not so loud! Albert!" she scolded him, looking around the room in a panic, "Somebody might have heard you!"

"So?" Albert shrugged again, not even trying to hide the smugness in his voice. "I can even shout it out in public again and let people envy me!"

"You won't dare, Albert!" she gasped.

"Why?" Albert replied and grinned wickedly. His arm imperceptibly tightened around her waist, as if he was challenging her. "I now have the undivided right to seducing this gorgeous woman and finally making her mine. And _that_ will happen very soon. What's wrong if I let them all know?"

"Don't you dare…!" Candy gasped again but didn't have time to look around this time because his arm now held her firmly as he led them both into an unexpected spin.

As they twirled around amongst the other couples, she felt her blush becoming hotter as she imagined what would have happened if her husband wasn't joking and that he really _was_ going to do what he wanted to do. Usually, such thoughts wouldn't even occur to him, he really did value his privacy but some time ago, after toasts were raised, she knew how alcohol could change even the most reserved of persons. If she kept challenging him, he would really do it and she couldn't let that happen for their both sakes. She then decided to try and redirect his attention from any more public announcements but without spoiling the tense, hot atmosphere between them. "And what about this wife of yours?" she inquired. "Does _she_ even know what you're up to?"

"No." Albert pulled her closer and bent his head slightly to her ear. "_She _has no idea what I am planning to do to her."

"Oh, Sir Andrew, are you afraid that if you told her, she might get frightened and run off?" she teased him again, bravely holding his gaze.

"It had crossed my mind. But she has no chance whatsoever of escaping. Why would she run away from me anyway?" his grin became even more devilish, "Even frightened, she will obey me more than willingly, that I can assure you."

"We are so full of ourselves, aren't we, Sir Andrew?" Candy shook her head in a gesture of fake disapproval but instead of getting an answer from him, she felt his hand tightening on her waist again. They made another spin, this time according to the music and the other couple's movements and she continued, "What if _she _decides to escape and hide somewhere after all?"

"Oh, even so, I will have no problem finding her. I can find her anywhere." Albert pulled her closer to him yet again and inhaled discreetly. "All I have to do is follow her lovely scent…"

Candy couldn't help but smile knowingly to herself. Oh yes, her reliable perfume… She had promised him to use it _only_ once they were finally married – and married they were! "And once you find her…" she pressed on, "what are you going to do to her…?"

"Miss Curiosity wants to know too much!" Albert suddenly came back to the straight posture that was demanded for the waltz, a few more figures and the dance was over. "I'm beginning to think you might be in a conspiracy with my wife and try to get information from me so you could warn her. I shall tell you no more."

"Conspiracy or not… You seem to be forgetting one thing." Candy backed away a little and gracefully bowed her head. "Your wife might very well have her own plans with regards to you, dear sir." She finished with a mischievous smile and walked away and towards the dining room, leaving him stunned and open mouthed on the dance floor.

Oh, how incredible it was that she enjoyed playing with him like that! After the chat with Annie, she had calmed down considerably and it came to the point where everything almost got back to normal. She decided to do everything she could to keep herself busy and distracted from thinking too much. And it worked. When it came to the end of the ball, a few extra toasts also helped her to maintain her carefree mood. By the time the approachin gending of the ball was announced and Albert had snatched her onto the dance floor again, she was almost totally relaxed. She almost found it too easy getting back into the routine that had lasted almost an entire summer… the routine of mercilessly flirting with her man into breaking his unrelenting promise of not kissing her right until they married. She had lost the bet, of course, and now she wanted to make up for it. She was hoping he had understood her message.

She had only managed to walk out and onto the terrace when a well known, masculine hand grabbed her wrist. As her husband led her firmly down the stairs, she smiled to herself at the vision of herself being dragged helplessly to their favourite spot in the labyrinth and there, passionately kissed again, like she wanted to.

But that didn't happen. Albert didn't turn towards the path that led to the labyrinth; instead, he carried on along the stairs, parallel to the mansion, mindful only of the speed that she was capable of maintaining in her high heels and they didn't stop until they had reached the south wing of the house. And as they turned and entered the alleyway, she immediately noticed a familiar Franklin Touring Sedan, parked in the shadows cast by the trees. She didn't even have time to ask anything before she found herself at the passenger's side, the door wide open for her.

"Get in."

"What…?" she asked, slightly puzzled. His car was of course, a good a place for kissing as was the labyrinth but she had a feeling that was not what was going to happen. "Why did you take me _here_?"

"Simple; we're leaving."

"What?" she uttered again, completely surprised by his words. She quickly glanced around and her gaze stopped on the seemingly endless row of cars lined up in front of the mansion. The drivers were already waiting but she hadn't seen any of the guests come out yet. "We can't leave just like that!"

"And why is that exactly?"

"What do you mean by 'why'?" she asked, turning again to Albert. "We can't just leave the guests…"

"Leave who?" Albert raised his eyebrows as if he had no idea what she meant. "Oh, those lot. They'll manage. I said: get in, we are leaving, _now_."

She had learnt ages ago that there was no point in arguing with him when his voice sounded so masterful so she carefully picked up her wedding dress and got inside.

Albert shut the door behind his wife, went to the other side of the car and slid onto the driver's seat. With one, rather impatient movement of his hand, he ignited the ignition of the car, drove along the tiny alleyway towards the other parked limousines, manoeuvred quickly between them and before any of the surprised drivers could even notice who had exactly left, he sped towards the gate. Within seconds, he was already outside and without even slowing down, he turned right and shot down towards the city centre. The mansion quickly disappeared from the car mirrors, left behind them at great speed. He didn't care. He didn't spare it a glance or given it a second thought. His mind had wondered onto a completely different set of tracks that headed in a completely different direction.

_You want to play games with me, my sweet? Well then, I __**will**__ show you the game… _he promised to himself.

O O O

(44) Rhotic accent - English pronunciation can be divided into two main accent groups: a rhotic (pronounced /ˈroʊtɨk/, sometimes /ˈrɒtɨk/) speaker pronounces a rhotic consonant in words like _hard_; a non-rhotic speaker does not. That is, rhotic speakers pronounce /r/ in all positions, while non-rhotic speakers pronounce /r/ only if it is followed by a vowel sound in the same phrase or prosodic unit. (Wikipedia)


	29. SECRETS OF THE NIGHT

**AN: Firstly…**

**I'd like to thank Moaleot, Luvbasket and Charmichan for all their advices, suggestions and support. I love you, girls!**

**Secondly… **

**Thank you, Logan, for your patience as you edited, page by page, this "awfully girlish love scene". ;)**

_***Edit* (Logan): 136 cups of tea was imbibed and 4126 zombies were harmed in the making of this chapter… What can I say? Thank goodness for zombies! Otherwise, this chapter would never have been finished. We hope that you will enjoy this chapter immensely. Logan X… Is that a zombie horde I doth hear?... *Edit***_

_***(Me again: After editing anything remotely related to a love story, he has to play some violent games, just to get his brain back to its normal, "manly" state. Men…)**_

**Thirdly…**

**Please be warned, that this chapter contains a very realistic (hopefully!) and rather explicit lemony scene. It's been rated 'M' for a good reason, with all the consequences coming with such rating, so no kiddies, please. If you are 18+ but you don't find pleasure in reading lemons, you also should skip this chapter.**

**But for the rest of you, those who had been waiting eagerly for this specific moment between our beloved couple, please, feel free to dive in, immerse yourself and hopefully – enjoy it for what it's worth…**

**P.S. Make sure that you are alone and a bucket of ice or at least cold water is nearby… ;-)**

**CHAPTER TWENTY NINE: SECRETS OF THE NIGHT**

At this time of the night everything was shut closed. Not one window was lit, not even one single late pedestrian wandering around the streets aimlessly. With a total lack of customers to take care of, even the taxis had disappeared. The only visible signs of life were the street cleaners with their equipment, saving the city from looking like a ghost town. The good side of it was that Albert's Touring Sedan was moving through the city almost without the need of slowing down.

Candy sat in her seat seemingly patiently but inside, she was dying out of curiosity about the destination of their ride. He was taking her somewhere, that part was obvious, they weren't going to spend their wedding night at the mansion – and it was the only thing that she knew at that moment. Albert didn't look at all like he was going to share whatever he had on his mind with her. He only sat in his driver's seat with his eyes focused intently on the road ahead. He might have looked absent, unaware of her presence even, but she knew better than that. She knew all too well the lazy smile that played on his lips. He was up to something and she just couldn't wait to find out what it was. And after a few more minutes of patient waiting, she finally couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Care to share with me where we are going?" she inquired.

For a moment there was no reply and she began doubting she would get one. That's why she was surprised when Albert suddenly released one hand from the steering wheel, reached into his pocket, pulled something out of it and held it in front of her. The second the bronze item dangled from the short, silver chain, she instantly recognized it.

"But… that's my old key!" she exclaimed. "The one I lost! Where did you find it?"

"You really think you lost it?" he teased her in a leisurely way, without taking his eyes off the road.

"I did! Where did you…" she repeated and trailed off as her husband's words fully registered. She had lost the key more than two weeks ago and had used the spare copy ever since, without even thinking about it twice. Only now she realized that she didn't _lose _it. It went missing but she didn't lose it. It was _taken _and it would have been totally naive of her to ask _who _did it, for _he _was the one who had the best access to her belongings_._ She shook her head. "Never mind…" she summed up in a much quieter voice.

It indeed wasn't important how he had gotten hold of the key. The point was, he had it and it seemed that he was now taking her back to her apartment. For a moment, she felt like she would have been disappointed by his choice. It was widely accepted that a newly wedded couple sometimes preferred spending their wedding night in a rented hotel room and she wouldn't be surprised if that was his plan. Taking her to her own apartment would seem less appealing… but strangely, it wasn't. Once she quickly reconsidered the idea, she realized she actually liked it. At least their first night will be in familiar, cosy surroundings…

She did feel a little tad nervous again. Not much, just a little, just enough to keep her slightly tense. The chat she had with Annie really helped her, even if it was a short one. It helped her understand that she wasn't the only one bride who experienced this inner shiver, this mix of anxiousness and eagerness all rolled into one.

It was a good thing though that she didn't get much time to dwell on about it. Merely minutes passed before they got into the area of Douglas Park and once there, they needed even less time to get to S Albany Avenue and park the car outside her house. Albert was out and on her side of the car before she even managed with her dress. He opened the door for her in a refined gesture but he didn't say a word to her. He helped her to get out by holding her hand to support her but all of it was in complete silence. She could swear her heart was beating hard enough for him to hear it in the silence of the night…

She felt a little odd when they finally got upstairs and he inserted the key into the key lock. Usually it was _her_ who did that.

As soon as they got in, she noticed that there was something different, something slightly amiss. It was about how the way her place looked like. She had left it the day before in a mess, not a big one but a mess nonetheless. Now however, everything had been cleaned up, the clothes she had left on the sofa and on the hangers had gone – and what was the most important, the bed was neatly done up. She only had a quick peek through the open door to her bedroom but the faint orange light coming from the street lamp was enough to see in. She always took care of the bed as soon as she got up, but it was never as neatly done as it was now.

Somebody was here while she was away.

That was obvious.

And it explained the key.

He… he must have planned it all!

She stopped in the middle of the carpet and turned on her heel to face her husband. Her movement was so rapid that the silk of her dress spun around her legs.

But Albert wasn't even looking at her at that moment. He was currently walking around the room, seemingly entirely focused on lighting the candles that were left in strategic places – another proof that someone had taken care of the place before they arrived.

"Who?" she asked in a shaky voice, "Who did all this?"

Even though she believed he could achieve almost impossible things, for everything seemed possible when it came to him, deep inside, she knew in this case, he couldn't have done all this by himself. He simply didn't have enough time to do it in person. He was way too busy with the preparations for the wedding and she knew for a fact that he hadn't left the mansion until they were leaving for the ceremony. Besides, her sixth sense was telling her that this was a woman's job. It just felt like there was a female hand in the cleaning.

"Does it matter?" Albert replied to her evasively, still busy lighting up the third candle. "The point is, I wanted to have privacy and a nice atmosphere for me and my wife…"

With the fourth and the last candle being lit up, the room gained a very specific atmosphere indeed. Thanks to the tiny flames flickering on their fuses, her living room suddenly didn't seem as she quite knew it. The usually average looking room had become more mysterious and more exciting. It wasn't dark anymore but it wasn't very bright either; the illumination from the four flickering candles was adequate enough for both to see each other, although, not in great detail.

But as Albert began walking towards her, she didn't need any bright light to see how intense his gaze was. She could actually feel it, roaming itself upon her body, surveying her body. Up and down. Up and down.

"…and privacy I have." He finished in a low, lazy voice. "No fuss, no nosy people around. Just my dear wife and I… finally alone …"

Usually this tone of voice soothed her and brought tranquillity. Not this time. This time his voice seemed to be waking up a riot within her body. Just his voice alone. And this was before anything had actually started.

There was still more to come. So much more to come.

Albert was now so close now that she could distinguish all the features of his face, despite the dim light. "Before we came here, I had a very interesting conversation with a certain young lady." He spoke with a, now, suddenly casual sounding voice. "Her name was Miss Curiosity. I believe she was trying to trick me into revealing to her my plans I had in store for my wife, so she could warn her. Now…" he inquired, his voice once again dropping a few tones down, "did she speak to you? Did she warn you that there's no chance of escape from me?"

Yes, his voice was very much capable of creating such a riot within her. Oh… and how she loved it!

"She did." She replied quietly, feeling as if it was the continuation of their chat during their last waltz. "She tried to warn me about you."

"And despite her warning, you didn't run, Milady? You went with me?"

"I really didn't have a choice, did I?" she countered.

"No, you didn't. You are now _mine_." he accentuated the last word.

"I'm yours indeed." she admitted humbly. In fact she wasn't trying to keep her voice humble. She actually _felt _a littlehumbled.

"Tell me then, my sweet… what should we start with?"

Candy hesitated but only for a moment. "With a promised kiss, perhaps?" she suggested.

"Milady wants to be kissed. Not a bad idea: a kiss…" Albert reached out and clasped her left hand in his. She felt his thumb playing seductively with her fingers, rotating her wedding ring minutely and then he slowly lifted her hand to his lips. The kiss was just a light touch of his lips on her fingers, so brief that her skin barely had the time to register the warmth of his breath lingering on it. Then he looked up from above her hand.

"Like this one?" he asked without even a trace of a smile.

Candy bit her lower lip in an effort to stop it from quivering. So far, she had managed to contain her nervousness and stop her entire body from trembling but it was becoming, by now, harder and harder to restrain. The anxiousness was slowly being replaced by excitement and eagerness but that didn't make controlling her body any easier. Although her feelings had changed – the effect upon her, the inner tremble, had remained the same.

And suddenly, in a glimpse of epiphany, she realized the nature of the game he was proposing; they had done it once or twice before. It was a tease in which he was the one flirting with her, seducing her and she was supposed to be the one pretending to be indifferent and fussy – this way, he had to make more and more efforts to get a reaction from her.

Yes, they had done this before… but it was only for a joke and the games all ended with hilarious laughter. Right now however, it was different. It wasn't for a joke and she knew there will be no backing off when they feel that they have ventured a little too far. There were no limits for _this_ flirt, not tonight. They will be dancing until they finally unite and fly together as one.

And she was determined to go as far as he dared take her. She wanted to play this game in unison with him.

Looking straight into his eyes to make sure that he understood the meaning of her gesture, she slowly shook her head.

And he understood.

"Milady didn't like it." He commented, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I must try something else then."

Without breaking eye contact with her, he turned her hand, facing it up, pushed the bracelet higher up and placed another kiss, this time on the inner side of her wrist. This time the kiss lasted longer and it wasn't as light as before. And it wasn't as innocent as before. This time not only his lips touched her skin; she also felt the tip of his tongue brushing gently over the spot where her vein pulsed, leaving a slightly wet trace behind, in turn, leaving her with butterflies in her stomach, awakened and fluttering.

She swallowed and shook her head again.

"I was hoping to get that better this time, but milady still doesn't seem to be satisfied." He commented, sighing as if in deep disappointment.

He didn't let go of her hand, however. His lips moved upwards, along her forearm. She felt each spot that he kissed coming to life in a very familiar way and the caress felt even more intense as he traced the line of his kisses with the fluid movement of his fingers. And when his lips finally reached their destination at the curve of her elbow, his tongue once again brushed over her sensitive skin, she winced uncontrollably. He must have noticed that because she felt his lips curling up into a smile.

But when he broke the kiss and looked at her again, his face was rather serious and his gaze very intense.

"And again, I guess I'm not even close..." he tried and she, following the game, shook her head again.

Almost immediately, his fingers began moving up her bare arm. They slipped underneath the loose fabric covering her arms and very gently, skimmed across the naked skin. When they got to her shoulder, he suddenly broke eye contact between them and dropping his hands lower, stepped behind her. She felt his fingers once again, this time slowly diving into the loose strands of her hair and brushing over the back of her neck and that alone was enough to give her hot shivers. Then, her hair was slowly moved away to one side and she felt her husband's lips on the base of her neck. Another set of shivers darted down her spine.

But it wasn't only one kiss. His lips wandered about on her entire neck, caressing every single sensitive spot he knew of. She knew she shouldn't even feel surprised by this; by now, he knew more about the sensitive parts on her neck than she was even aware of herself. They had even been joking once, about him drawing a map with those locations on, on a piece of paper, marking each one of them with a cross for the future reference. Just like a pirate's treasure map. But right now he didn't look at all like he needed a map. And certainly, this was no joke.

"Do _these_ kisses satisfy you… _Milady_..?" he murmured into her neck and his voice sent an additional resonance through her skin. His question registered slowly in her somewhat already hazy mind. She had no doubts that he wasn't randomly choosing the areas to kiss. He chose them deliberately, knowing all too well which ones would have the desired and strongest effects on her. And he chose very well. As a result, she stood there, in the middle of the floor, feeling his body behind her, his hands sensually stroking her hairline at the back of her neck, his lips hovering tentatively behind her ear and she wondered briefly how on Earth it was possible that she was still capable of still standing upright. With the way she felt under his caresses, it was truly a wonder as to why she still hadn't become a puddle of melted wax at his feet…

"Milady is silent." The words somehow tore their way through the thick cotton like fog of her daze. "I guess that is a "no" and I shall have to try harder…"

Albert moved to the other side and she felt his lips kissing lightly her other ear. And this time, upon receiving his caresses, her acted out silence became too much to rein in. A quiet moan escaped her lips.

"I think I'm getting there…" His warm breath tickled her ear. One more time, he kissed her lower earlobe and then he began moving along her jaw line. She slowly turned her face towards him, waiting for him half way but just before their lips met, Albert moved away slightly and the only thing she kissed, was air.

But she didn't have time to feel disappointment. "Do you know what? I've changed my mind about kissing." She heard him say, and before she could react, a pair of male arms swept her off her feet from the floor. She only had time to blink twice in surprise but this was all it took for Albert to carry her into the bedroom. One moment she was standing on the floor in the living room and the next, she found herself seated on the edge of her own bed and having her man lowering himself to a kneeling position in front of her. And he must have kept his eyes on her, for when she searched for his gaze, she found it immediately. "Now…" he spoke the word protractedly, a slight, very alluring smile crept onto his lips, "now I think it's the time to let these delicate feet rest…"

The fabric on the sleeves of his tuxedo swished almost silently when Albert reached out his hands. Candy felt both his palms wrapping around her calves and she held her breath for a moment. It was already really, _really _hard for her to act indifferent and it didn't get any easier when his long, strong fingers began stroking her skin, massaging it sensually before finally working their way down her ankles. With the same, sensual slowness he took care of her shoes. One by one, they were taken off and deposited carefully somewhere on the floor next to the bed. And the blood pumped faster in her veins when he proceeded with his aims. His hands slipped underneath her dress and began manoeuvring up her legs, and as they reached her thighs, he raised himself up from his heels. He was now kneeling before her, between her legs, having his hands venturing higher and higher up and his thumbs tentatively brushing the inner sides of her thighs. She felt it; she felt every single stroke of his fingers as they ran along her silky stockings, as they stopped for a split second at the suspenders and as they finally touched the naked skin itself. And the last one felt as if some tiny but hot electric sparks had skipped between them, causing her to draw in a rapid, shaky breath.

Albert only smiled a little wider but he said nothing. He let his hands do the speaking for him. And instead of hearing it from his lips, she _felt _how satisfied he was about her reaction on her own skin. She felt the effect it had on him; she felt it from the movements of his, more and more, impatient fingers as he blindly searched for each button on her suspenders in earnest effort to undo them. The game was nearing its usual end and not one of them was capable of holding back their passion. And she didn't want to either. Almost completely gone from her was this ridiculous nervousness that she felt through the entire evening and night. She was eager to proceed faster and finally feel this mad rush of desire that made her body move beyond her will. But so far, she felt as if Albert was keeping her just teetering on the edge, just on the outskirts of the final jump, from which the blood was now beginning to nearly boil in her veins. As a result, she was out of breath here and there and dazed, as if she was enclosed in some sort of a bubble, yet, she was still far from being blinded by desire, the state she wanted so much to experience.

So then she decided to help him a little in his explorations. Her hands, up until this point, were hanging loosely by her sides, now slowly moved behind her back and then pushed up against the bed for support. And almost unnoticeably, she slowly leaned backwards a little, as if inviting him to go further.

But to her surprise, Albert didn't follow her lead. He retracted his hands from her hips, where they had climbed up to after undoing the suspenders and in a rather quick movement, he rolled down her stockings. In no time at all, they too were both left on the floor, only this time without care from him where to place them nicely, like he had done with her shoes earlier. He simply tossed them aside and without pause, reached out to her waist, motioning her to get up. Offering no explanation, he turned her around so he now stood behind her back and seconds later, she felt his fingers on her neck. Before she had even noticed it, her necklace was loosened, then gone. Only the quiet clinking sound informed her that it was being placed somewhere behind, probably on her night stand. And almost instantly, his hands were tangled in her hair again. But this time he didn't play with it and after a moment she understood, he was pulling out the hairpins that held her hair in place. One by one, her locks kept falling onto her back until there were no more to untwine.

"Milady's hair like a golden coat dresses her glory… lovely…" a soft murmur vibrated in her ear and once again, she felt Albert covering her neck with kisses. Like before, his hands had now joined in the caress, causing yet another shiver to run down her spine. And as if to strengthen its effect, he ran his fingers along her spine too. But their ulterior motive was soon revealed; they stopped at the top edge of the back of her dress and began manipulating the zip.

_So it's now… at last… _Candy sighed inwardly. She's been waiting for this moment with a constantly growing impatience and she was more than happy that it was finally happening. While he was gradually freeing her from the dress, she had a moment of feeling ashamed of her soon-to-be-absolute nudity but she pushed it to the very back of her mind. It didn't matter that he had never seen her completely naked before. She didn't have to worry if he liked what he was looking at. His hands, their eagerness in removing her dress, were enough of a reassurance. It was only her, feeling a little uneasy with standing completely naked in front of a man.

But she didn't have much time to wonder about the remains of her embarrassment. Albert really didn't waste any more time than necessary in getting rid of her clothes and as she stood among the small island, created by her folded and discarded dress on the floor, any unwanted prior thoughts were stopped abruptly, pushed away with new sensations. Kneeling behind her, Albert placed his hands on her thighs and began to move his palms in a gentle up-and-down motion. The night was warm but still colder than her heated up body and it felt like her skin, exposed to the nightly air, had become even more sensitive. With each stroke, each delicate scratch of his nails was intensified tenfold.

But it wasn't what was in her still relatively conscious mind had thought, it didn't come in the form of his fingers but in the form of his lips, kissing their way up her thighs. It wasn't perhaps a breathtaking feeling; it was more like a tease. It's just _what _he was doing and _how _he was doing it that was just so… unthinkable! Never in a million years would she even have thought of such ways of caressing a backside... and that it could feel so good. No, not just good, more than good… With each passing second, she began to quickly change her mind about such play being _just _nice because apparently, this _game_ began to stoke the fire within her more and more and the longer it went on and the higher he got, the more she felt as if real flames were leaping higher and higher up her legs.

Still, it was just a tease. With her body still trembling from impatience, she just couldn't wait for him to finally start caressing her 's why when he _finally _placed his hands on her waist, she almost sighed with relief.

"Where did I leave off three months ago?" her husband's low tone murmur tickled her ear again. His fingers glided for an instant upon her belly and then in a quick and smooth movement reached higher up. "Here?" he murmured again, his fingertips brushing over the skin just underneath her breasts which coaxed a sharp, shaky gasp from her. "Or, was it here?"

His hands moved around her breasts and after a few more, and what seemed like an eternally long moment of this nearly unbearable pause, they finally enclosed firmly around her moulds. Her nipples, sensitive even to the nightly air, hardened even more under his touch. Unlike three months ago, this time she knew what to expect and she welcomed it with an inner joy as the sharp current that ran through her.

"Did you wait for that as much as I did? Say you did...!" he demanded softly. "I know you did... I can feel it..."

Oh, if he only knew how much she had been waiting for this! Oh, how she remembered that feeling when he had touched her and how she longed to experience it all again! And she wanted to tell him that. Scrap her previous decision to follow the rules of his game! She thought she will follow him, trying to keep up with his pace whereas now it was_ her_ who wanted him to go faster. She had overestimated her own patience and now she has already had enough of this game. She wanted to finish it so they could finally start on something more serious. Yet, she found replying almost impossible at this moment; as the caress of his hands intensified, it temporarily robbed her of her voice. And just as if knowing what his touch was causing to her, Albert doubled his efforts in making sure that she would remain unable to speak. While his hands were busy, his lips had resumed their previous assault on her neck and this time, his kisses, combined with the caress of his fingers, made her legs buckle beneath her.

She was perhaps unable to speak but apparently, she was still capable of making some sounds. A long, deep, moan tore its way up and out from the bottom of her throat.

And it was then the caress stopped. Not only Albert wasn't touching her anymore; he stepped away from her slightly. She didn't even try to repress the discontented whine at the loss of the warmth of his body behind her back. She opened her eyes slowly.

Albert wasn't standing behind her anymore, that part was true – now he stood _in front of her._ How was it possible that he moved so quickly without her noticing – she didn't have time to even grasp – but she wasn't going to waste her time wondering about it either. She had better things to do. Much more pleasant was to see her man feasting his eyes upon her. She really didn't have to ask if he liked what he saw. His openly sultry gaze that hungrily rambled on her body told her enough. Somewhere at the back of her mind, there was a tiny voice, making last efforts in trying to convince her that she _should_ feel embarrassed but she ignored it. She stood straight, forcing her arms _not to _cover her nudity and with a heavy blush on her cheeks she relished in the clear, wild desire that shone in her husband's eyes. She wanted nothing more than finally feel _physically_ this desire on herself and not only _see_ it. She longed for him to show her how wild he could really get. So many times in the past he had snatched her in his arms to kiss her as if there was no tomorrow and seeing his desire, she was instinctively expecting him to do the same now.

But for some reason he still wasn't doing it. "Well, Milady…" he finally said in a low, husky voice. He raised his hand and she felt his fingers possessively gliding upon the skin of her neck where he had been kissing her merely seconds ago. "Did _those _kisses satisfy you?"

_Oh…_ So, he was still playing his little game then. Fine. She would show him that she wasn't going to be only just a passive participant. She had her own, long positively tested means to provoke him and she was going to use them. _She _would be the one who will decide about the ending of this game.

Forcing herself to breathe evenly, as if his recent actions hadn't affected her in any way, she made a fussy pout. "They were…" she managed in a surprisingly even voice, "...oh, well…" she shrugged, "…acceptable."

Albert's nostrils flared wider at the word. Was he expecting her to act this fussy or was he just surprised – she couldn't really tell. What was important to her was that he fell for it. Within an instant, the hand that had been caressing her neck was now on her chin, strongly cupping her face and holding it in place. "Liar." He accused her, smiling lightly.

And he finally did what she had hoped for. He leant over her quickly and swiftly covered her lips with his.

She too, cast aside the act of indifference and wrapped her hands around his neck. This was what she needed. It was as if she had been a torch held above an open fire, feeling the flames licking her hesitantly here and there but never heating up enough for her to ignite. With his touch now doing so much more, she finally did; she was now burning with a strong, steady flame.

It wasn't only her who burned. As Albert held her body closely to his own, even through the layers of his clothing, she could feel the crazy, rhythmic dance of his heart – and she had absolutely no doubts as to what was poking her lower abdomen. And he was as impatient as she herself was; one moment, she was standing on the floor, the next, she felt his hands linking behind and underneath her buttocks and lifting her off the ground. Somehow beyond her, her legs wrapped themselves around his hips, as if her body knew better at how to keep balance. But she didn't need the balance for too long; it was a matter of perhaps seconds before she felt herself being lowered onto the bed.

Her hands were missing something and searched for it impatiently as Albert continued their kiss. And suddenly she realized what it was. She wanted to touch him too. She wanted, oh, she so badly wanted to feel him under her fingers, get to know the texture of his skin… everywhere… It was so… unfair that he had her lying here, so exposed to his eager hands while she herself could only embrace him through his clothes… Why was he still wearing them, anyway?

Rather firmly, she pushed her hands against his chest. Initially he ignored this, but as she pressed on more insistently, he finally broke off their kiss and lifted his head up, confusion in his hazy eyes.

"It's not fair…" she somehow managed, at best, a throaty whisper, "I want to touch you too… and see…but this…" she tugged meaningfully at the collar of his tuxedo, "…is not letting me."

Immediately, the confusion disappeared, the slight frown too. Without saying anything back, Albert lifted himself up on his arms, slid off her body and then, off the bed and with a challenge written all over his face, he began removing his garments.

Candy rose too and propped up on both elbows, never stopping to watch the show before her intently. She would have never thought that a view of the man who was simply undressing himself could be so eye-captivating! He was simply taking the jacket of his tuxedo off and discarding it haphazardly onto the armchair and there she was, unable to take her eyes off him, she barely even blinked. He was only now just beginning to undo the buttons of his white shirt and here she was, reminding herself to breath and swallowing repeatedly in a fruitless attempt to moisten her dry throat…

The shirt was open only up to his chest when Albert stopped. "Are you…" he inquired with a changed voice, "…brave enough to assist me in changing into my birthday suit?"

She understood. He was inviting her to join him. And the next second, one of his words finally sank into her brain. Brave? Brave? He dared to imply that she wasn't _brave_ enough to show some initiative?

In one quick movement, she lifted herself off the pillow and knelt on the edge of the bed, her hands reaching for her husband's shirt. Gently but firmly she pushed away both his hands and carried on where he had left off. Her fingers trembled from impatience and she struggled with the first few buttons but she didn't give up until every last of them was finally undone. Then, she could widen the gap between the flaps of his shirt and slip it off of his shoulders. She reached behind his back and as quickly as she could, unclipped the hooks of the complimentary cummerbund. The black band fell silently onto the floor. Finally, with the shirt dangling off his trousers, he was all hers to touch.

With a sigh of delight, she let her hands rest of his naked torso. It wasn't a little shy, curious exploration she had always imagined that would take place. She had always thought she would be slowly tracing her fingers upon him, giving her eyes enough time to recognize every single contour her hands had known thus far only roughly through the fabric of his shirt. She had thought she would be taking her time and relishing every inch of his skin but what she was doing right now was the complete opposite. Her blood, boiling in her veins simply didn't allow her to remain patient, to the contrary; making her hands more and more fervent. And the further she went, the more she liked it. Albert had nice skin; not really a delicate one – but smooth and firm. The softness of hers met his, complimenting each other and she couldn't get enough of this feeling. Her fingertips gained an incredible sensitivity, her eyes focused completely on following her fingers and in these quick, impassioned movements she was creating a rough mental sketch of the map of her man's body. And it was so good to feel how he reacted to her touch; the tiny twitches of his muscles wherever her fingertips brushed over, his breath above her head, shallow, shaky and quavering, all told her how much _he _liked her doings.

But it wasn't enough. The moment the realization of what she wanted to touch the most hit her, she immediately considered herself probably being the naughtiest newly wedded wife on the planet. She entered her marriage as a virgin, yes, but she definitely didn't feel the timidity expected from a decent young woman during her supposedly first intimate experience with her husband. _Decency be damned, _she thought with an inner smile. _This is much more fun._

She let her hands slide down her husband's lower back and rested for a moment around his waist. Then, wanting to see his reaction, she looked up at him and as their eyes locked, she traced her fingers along the edge of his trousers all the way to its front, tugging lightly at the button.

There was no way of not understanding this gesture.

A tiny smile graced briefly on the corner of his lips before his hands covered hers. One fluid twist of his fingers and she felt the trousers loosening up. But then he let go again. This time, it was her turn to read the silent message. Clearly, he wanted her to continue to do what she was doing, on her own.

And she was more than happy to comply. And it didn't matter that removing _this _part of a man's clothing was new territory for her; she instinctively went with the routine of taking her own trousers off when she wore them. She simply slid her thumbs underneath the edge of his underwear and she began pulling it down his hips. Her movements were a little unsure but she refused to look down. She wanted to keep eye contact with her husband and have a peek at him when he was fully undressed. Impatiently, she firmly tugged at the resisting fabric.

"Eager, are we?"

"Weren't you told in advance that your wife had her own plans regarding your person?" she retorted with a very similar, raspy voice.

Once again, she felt his hands giving her a little help and a moment later, both garments slid down his legs, pulling the shirt along with them. She retraced her hands from his thighs back onto his hips and reaching as far as she could, she clasped them onto his buttocks. And also here, he didn't remain indifferent; the strong muscles contracted suddenly, reacting to her strokes. She didn't let him enjoy it for too long; teasingly, she pulled away back onto his hips, gently scratching the skin on the way. But she didn't stop at his hips. Her hands wandered further and further, to finally land on his abdomen.

It was like music to her ears when she heard him inhaling rapidly, his breath becoming a sharp hiss. "Candy…" he breathed out, his voice half demanding, half begging, "Touch me!"

Even if she didn't already have that in her plans, she would have still submitted to his darkened, hypnotizing gaze. Not having any experience here, she lowered only one hand at first, very slowly. All movement of her hand ceased when her fingertips bumped into something hard, much harder, _much_ harder than the skin above. One second of pause and she moved her hand, continuing her curious exploration.

Maybe sensing her hesitance or maybe simply being too aroused to wait around patiently, Albert clasped her hand in his and closed her fingers around his manhood. His eyes still locked with hers, he guided her and she understood that her concerns were unnecessary. She was a little worried that she might somehow hurt him with her inexperienced hand whereas he clearly didn't mind her being more firm…

He didn't let go of her hand, still setting up the pace of her strokes and she couldn't stop marvelling at the contrast of the surprising softness and flexibility of the skin and the solid rock hardness of the flesh beneath it. And before she knew, her mind began creating images for her, images of them already joined as one. It was her hands caressing him and yet, she could almost feel how it would be when he will be inside her, wondering idly how it was possibly going to fit... The sensation was so intense that she felt her lower body beginning to throb from longing. She wanted it. She wanted it badly and she knew she was ready; otherwise, why would her secret feminine place so wet, why would it feel so very, very warm?_ Annie was right about my body telling me,_ the thought flashed quickly through her mind just to disperse a fraction of a second later. The need of becoming one with him was strong enough that it pushed out everything and everyone else from her mind but him.

Not even realizing, she sped up the pace and at the moment that she did it, Albert groaned quietly and nearly at the same second, he forced her hands to let go. It didn't escape how his face had changed, how he grimaced, as if he was in pain. She stiffened, suddenly scared that she did something to hurt him after all.

"Did I… do something wrong?" she asked, biting her lip.

Albert opened his eyes and glanced at her, dazed, for a moment looking as if he didn't quite understand her question. Then, he shook his head fervently. "No… not at all!" he uttered. "It's just me... It was… too good...I wouldn't be able to… hold back if you carried on…"

She didn't fully understand what he had said for now, she simply accepted it as it was. There was a lot to learn about each other… but later. "Then don't." She whispered softly and leaned forward again, placing one and then, more kisses on his chest. Quickly, her lips travelled up, onto his collarbone, neck and then, his jaw line. "Don't hold back…"

Before she knew, his mouth was on hers and he pulled her closer. As if in a dream, she felt herself falling backwards – it was him, lowering her onto the bed and covering her with his body. Overwhelmed with the kiss, she only faintly registered that he had got rid of his clothes completely, simply kicking them off his ankles - all she could focus on were his hands, fervently caressing her everywhere that they could reach, his muscular thigh that separated her legs and pressing against her, promisingly. She was becoming all but a quivering bunch of muscles from the overwhelming lust, leaving her with no doubt what her body was telling her. Her body wanted, _needed _to be conquered. It wanted to be his. _Now._

O O O

It felt like it was sort of being burnt alive. Albert felt like he was reaching the point beyond which he _really_ would have no more control over himself. It was already bad enough when she touched him moments earlier but now it just became too much; having his wife's wriggling body under his aroused one, having the intoxicating mix of her own scent and those tempting perfumes filling his nostrils, having hearing her moans that melted somewhere in her throat… As much as he wanted to follow on with his initial plan of savouring her body to the fullest, to tease her until she begged him to finish it, he just couldn't. The long months of waiting, more or less patiently for this moment to arrive, simply became too much for carrying on with any games; all his body desired was to make her his and now. Like in a fever, he broke off the kiss, only to immediately attack her neck and slid his hand down her torso, finally letting his fingers slide in gently between her soft, feminine petals. The touch confirmed what he earlier felt on his leg; she was ready. So, _so _ready. The rest of her body told him the same thing; her hips bucked invitingly under his touch, the muscles of her soft thigh tensed around his hip as if she subconsciously wanted to pull him closer. She was ready, her mind lost in desire just like his was and he couldn't find any reason to wait any longer.

Releasing her breast from his lips, he propped himself up on his elbow and knelt, his fingers never for a moment breaking the caress on her core. Somehow he now found himself unable to remove them, intoxicated by the feel of her wetness. And if his arousal wasn't urging him on so much, he would have relished the view of his wife spread open before him and receiving pleasure from his hand for longer. Oh, he would have enjoyed that very much; she layed opened and ready for him, her naked skin glowing faintly in the dim orange light that permeated through the window, her chest heaving erratically with each breath she took. Her hands, deprived of his shoulders to hold onto, clutched onto the pillow and tugged it more and more, harder with each intimate stroke he gave her. But as much as he would have loved to do this all night, he really couldn't wait any longer. His body loudly demanded the immediate fulfilment of his needs.

She didn't seem to notice when he spread her thighs wider and shifted his leg to position himself between them. Only when he lowered himself onto her again and his manhood touched her entrance, she winced and then, stilled. That didn't stop him. He finally forced himself to break away the caress of his fingers and used the hand to guide himself, using her wetness to ease the friction – and there he was, already sliding in - slowly but smoothly. He allowed his weight to push himself deeper and he held his breath at the feeling of the womanly channel opening for him gradually and closing around him as he dove in. It was unbelievable. It was hot, sleek and so wonderfully, breathtakingly tight! It was as if he was being swallowed up whole. Unable to stop himself, he rocked forward, shutting his eyes tight and letting out a hiss in pleasure when he felt the inner muscles of his wife's inner cavern strongly clamping down around him. It felt so good, so, so good, so much better than he had imagined! Beyond his control, his hips rocked again, harder this time, sending a quiver along his spine as his entire length was finally, fully buried inside his wife. He drew in a long, shaky breath, ready to fully lose himself in their passionate lovemaking… and it was at this point that he realized that Candy's hold on him was perhaps a little too tight. Not only had she held onto his shoulders; he felt her nails digging holes into his skin. He opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly. And just this one look, seeing the grimace on her face was enough to understand. He took her muffled moan the moment earlier as a moan of pleasure – but it was a cry of pain.

Immediately, he ceased the pressure of his hips. _I am such an idiot, _he slapped himself mentally. She was ready for him, yes. But he was focused so much on his own pleasure that at the most important moment, he failed to remember that despite her eagerness it was still her first time!

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, once again burying his face in her hair, "I know the first time is sometimes painful… I should have…"

"Shhh… it's okay…" she silenced his words with a shaky whisper. "Please, don't stop."

He knew he wouldn't stop but he wasn't going to rush it either. He didn't want to cause any more pain than was necessary. "Just try to… relax?" he suggested.

Instead of replying, Candy hugged him even tighter and after a moment, he felt that she complied; her, so far rigid and tensed up body, relaxed a little.

To distract her, he reached for something that he expected to work; he sensually plunged his fingers into her hair and began kissing her neck. He chose to nibble on her neck, just below her earlobes. And he chose right. Despite the pain that she was in, her body reacted to this very well known caress by stretching beneath him and in effect, her hips bucked against his, bringing him deeper without him even making a move. When it first happened, she immediately tensed again but a moment later, he felt her relaxing again and, as he increased his caresses, she repeated the movements. Somehow, he was almost glad that it happened as it happened. At least it cooled his mind and his manly urges for a moment. Otherwise, he would have gotten lost in his own desire and probably finished before her and that was something totally out of the question. And this way, he had regained this tiny bit of self control needed to focus on her first, without going insane.

And it was working. Her first movements were a little unsure at first, probably coming from the instinctive reaction of her body rather than from her own will. But gradually it started to change and soon he noticed that she was gaining more and more confidence in the way she was offering her body to him. He allowed her to dictate the pace and only when he sensed that she was beginning to fall into the right rhythm, he started to move too.

A loud gasp came into shot of his ears and he felt that she tensed up again but almost immediately, her hips replied to his movement. One more time, he grinded himself against her, this time a little harder, receiving a mimicked action from her without a second's delay. Guessing that he could proceed now, he began slowly but firmly to set his own pace.

.

Candy found herself having serious difficulty breathing; one second, she was holding her breath and the next, as she felt her husband's manhood plunge and conquer her, time and time again, she gasped rapidly for more air.

The initial pain of her body being breached by him had been truly piercing but at least she had expected it, so that wasn't a total surprise. Her body had contracted, fighting against the pain and forcing it to relax wasn't easy, but as seconds had passed, she found it less difficult. Her body had its own ways to adjust and the pain had lessened gradually, to finally shrink down to be only a dull discomfort. And Albert was also helping her to focus on something else… As his lips traversed upon her neck, she had found herself feeling dizzy once again and wanting for more. Somehow, beyond her will and control, her body moved beneath him, causing him to dive deeper into her. The pain had stricken her once more but it wasn't nearly as sharp as before – and at the same time, she had felt something else besides the pain. It was like a warm throb deep within her and to her own surprise, she had felt her body immediately responding to it by contracting again. She felt so full, so _complete…_and it felt good. It felt good, it felt hot… and she wanted more if it. Even if she would want to control it, she wouldn't be able to; her hips bucked as if they had a will of their own, as if they wanted to meet his half way… This time, there had been no pain, only a penetrating fullness of him inside her and a nice pleasant feeling when the tip of his manhood softly stroked this newly discovered spot deep within her, every time she moved.

But it was nothing in comparison to what she felt when _he_ had finally moved. This time the sensation had been much more intense, managing to tear a loud gasp out of her. She had held her breath for a moment, only to gasp again when her husband had finally began setting his own pace. And since then, she had felt as if she had forgotten the normal skills for breathing…

As Albert continued his slow, shallow thrusts, she felt the previous desire rapidly coming back and washing the pain away. It wasn't important anymore, even the memory of it; what was important was the coil of need, winding tighter and tighter within her. Before she knew it, her body ceased listening to her brain and began moving by its own accord, rhythm instinctive, not requiring or needing any help from her consciousness. Her hips rolled fluidly, softly adjusting to her husband's moves, her hands settled around his back, as if they were trying to bring him closer… It really was as if he wasn't close enough, deep enough… She wanted… oh, she wanted more of him, firmer and deeper so that she could feel him all…

Without really realizing what she was doing and why, she lifted her legs off the bed and wrapped them around her husband's hips. What this would cause and how much deeper it will bring him, she found out with his next thrust; this time, the tip of his manhood didn't stroke teasingly the mysterious spot within her. It pressed fully against it and the moment that happened, tremors of pleasure shot along her spine. Her body shuddered violently… and then the blazing wave slowly melted away.

It shocked her so much that she stopped, not really sure what happened, nor what to think of it.

_Was that 'it' already? Was that… all?_

A quiet chuckle put a stop to her frenzied thoughts. "Seems like somebody was _really_ hungry…"

With difficulty, she opened her eyes. Albert was looking at her; his face expressed something between desire, surprise… and a sort of amusement. "I haven't even started properly…" he continued slowly, huskily, "…and you are already ahead of me! If you feel satisfied, I can always stop right here…" he offered her an impossible challenge, "Just say the word…"

Stop? _Now_? No way!

"You do that…" she replied, her bravery bouncing back, "…and the first thing I will do in the morning is to get divorce papers!"

Her allusion must have been understood because Albert laughed. "Divorce papers, huh?" he asked. A second later his smile disappeared and his gaze was once again, filled with a dark, wild flame. "Not a chance!"

As if pointing out his words, he rocked his hips forward, grinding against her harder than he had before and she gasped at the feeling. Oh, no; it definitely wasn't _all. _It was just the beginning…

And that was her last coherent thought. As he continued pounding into her with his hard thrusts, everything began to spin before her eyes and all she could focus on was him. Him, stretching her… filling her… Him, carrying her to this rapid ride to completion. She could already feel the fire pit within her abdomen beginning to boil, the muscles both in and outside, winding tighter and tighter as the ecstasy was slowly but mercilessly taking possession of her body. It was breathtaking. It was reducing her into a mindless being, into a mass of tangled nerves being driven by pure pleasure, numb to everything around that wasn't a source of it. All she knew was that she wanted more of it… and more…

And he was giving her more. More than she thought she needed, more than she ever knew was possible. As he increased his speed, she could feel every muscle pulling taut as the fire threatened to consume her. She had long since lost the ability to form coherent words and all that she was capable of now were the moans that periodically escaped her throat. She barely even remembered to breathe. She couldn't even reply to his movements anymore. All she could do was to let him carry her to their private heaven he once promised.

And heaven came to her. The pleasure took upon her whole body and for a moment, she balanced on the edge between the want of continuing to experience this pleasure and the need for a release – and her body chose the release. As the coil inside her wound up even more, to the point of near pain, her body arched against him – then the coil snapped, flooding every fibre of her being with a wave of breathtaking, blinding ecstasy.

.

He wasn't able to say anymore what it meant exactly to be William Albert Andrew as a separate being. Nor did he care. All that mattered to him right now was the woman beneath him and this unbelievable, incredible sensation of merging with her as one. If he thought that he was going insane before, when he first entered her, now he was in a state quite close to delirium. His entire body felt as if he stood in a fire and all he wanted was to feel more of it. To him, the entire world simply shrank to the size of a circle, of two entwined bodies, to the sound of two hearts pounding crazily, to their scattered, erratic breaths, rapid gasps and deep moans of pleasure and he had become deaf and blind to everything else.

And, being so focused on his wife, he couldn't miss the change in her behaviour. For some time, she had been holding onto him, hands around his arms, her legs wrapped around his hips, thus allowing her body to adjust completely to the rhythm he was setting. But suddenly, now, with no warning whatsoever, her body arched violently against his – and a second later she came out with a long moan that bordered with a scream.

Seeing and hearing her finally climaxing, feeling her inner muscles repeatedly clamping down tightly around him sent him into a state of frenzy and he stopped caring for anything else, now focused only on driving himself to completion too. It didn't take long; the fire within him had already begun to condense around his nether regions. A few more crazy thrusts into her convulsing core – and he too, muffled a moan in the crook of his wife's neck then exploded into a world of bliss.

The ecstasy, after so many months of holding back, came so forceful that it was actually almost painful. The moment his climax hit, all his muscles tensed and tightened so strongly that he froze with his upper body pressed flat against his wife's. He remained like this for a moment, unable to loosen his tight grip on his wife's shoulders and hair – and only the muscles of his abdomen, along with the muscles on his buttocks, continued to twitch madly, making his hips still rock, still grind, as if they were unable to stop their motions as he filled her with his seed. There he was, floating on the top of a sparkling wave of bliss, eyes tight shut, ears unable to hear anything but his own deafeningly loud heartbeat, unable to feel anything but the overwhelming pulsing of blood through his veins…

He had never felt worse.

He had never ever felt better.

It took him an eternally long moment to finally catch a rapid, shaky breath. It took even longer before he felt his body relaxing, the tension gradually melting away – and then he collapsed on top of his wife, spent and temporarily robbed of any strength, letting the wave slowly carry him down, back to the softer surface of consciousness.

"Al…"

The weak moan made him finally open his eyes. Sure that his weight, pressing down on her, was making her breathing more difficult, he made the utmost effort and propped himself up on his elbow. But when he looked at his wife's face, he didn't notice even the tiniest trace of any discomfort. She was indeed breathing erratically, just like him but his concern was erased when he saw a smile of pure delight, gracing her lips.

"What… you said…" she continued excitedly in a breathless whisper, staring at the ceiling with hazed and unseeing eyes, "The world could end… but… I don't care…!"

He said something like that? For a long moment he fought with his dazed mind, fruitlessly trying to force it to cooperate. It seemed impossible at first but finally, he managed to find and extract the right memory. Last year. Lakewood. Their kiss. How he felt. How he told her.

And Albert laughed helplessly, before collapsing on top of her once more, burying his face into her hair. "I love you too, Candy…" he murmured. In reply, she only cuddled him tighter.

O O O

Time passed and the minutes ticked away, wrapped in a blissful silence. Slowly, he regained his senses and the ability to move all his joints but he remained in the same position, snuggled in his wife's embrace, unwilling to remove himself from where he felt so unbelievably good. Never before in his life had he felt such contentment. Surely, he had always felt great with her whenever they had met up in the past year – but this was different. It was, most certainly, a satisfaction coming from having his body's carnal needs being finally fulfilled – but it wasn't _only_ coming from a physical fulfilment; it was more than that…

She wasn't only a woman anymore. She had become HIS woman. Truly and fully. He had won her heart and now, her body belonged to him too.

He wasn't only a man anymore. He had become a man who belonged to HER. Simply.

It really felt as if they had became one…

There were no words to explain it properly, no words at all.

.

She didn't want to get back just yet. She wanted to float forever in this seemingly endless space where her body was so wonderfully weightless. She didn't even want to open her eyes, hoping that if she kept them closed, this heaven that she was in will not go away.

But she couldn't stop it from going anyway. The bliss began slowly fading away, leaving her behind with heavy body. But waking up in the reality wasn't bad at all either. She layed there, having her husband in her embrace, imprisoned by the weight of his equally tired body, feeling the warmth of his calming, slow breath on her neck, his hair tickling her cheek… She felt him both on the outside as well as on the inside of her body and it felt wonderful. It was heaven too.

For many long moments, they were just reposing in silence, eyes closed, without even making a move. None of them wanted to give up this special closeness that had now transpired between them. Only after some time had passed, she felt her husband stirring slowly, as if reluctantly. He lifted his head from her shoulder and held himself upwards on his elbow. She opened her eyes, immediately meeting his, shadowed by his dishevelled hair falling down his forehead. "Hey…" she murmured throatily.

"Hey yourself…" he murmured back. The hand he had plunged into her hair untangled slowly and crept up to her cheek where he began gently brushing her skin with the back of his fingers. "How are you feeling, sweetheart? Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes wider at the question and then smiled. He was asking her if she was _okay?_ "'Okay' is _not_ the word I'd have used…" she replied protractedly, her hand also slipping from her husband's back onto his neck and cheek, "...but please ask me again later, when my brain starts functioning a bit normally again…"

Albert smiled to her warmly, leaned down and placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose. He then, before she realized what for, rose again and let their bodies separate.

"Why...?" She complained quietly at the loss, "I liked it like this…"

Albert smiled once again. "Me too, sweetheart. But I wouldn't be able to stay like this for much longer anyway…"

She sighed and let him free himself from her embrace. He slid off her and rolled onto his side and wanting to resume their body contact, she turned too. But to her surprise Albert rolled over once more and propping himself on his elbow, dangled his legs over the edge of the bed. It looked like he was going to get up and she quickly reached her hand out and held onto his arm.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Albert looked at her from above his shoulder. "Just for a moment." he confirmed. "Just lay down and relax, okay? I will be back before you know it."

She doubted she could be any more relaxed than she already was but she did as he told her. She just silently watched her husband's broad shoulders as he sat up fully. As he stood up, she roamed her eyes upon his entire silhouette, memorizing all the details that she possible could in the dim, orange light of the gas lamps that permeated into the room from the outside. And there was a sight to see! Her husband not only had well defined muscles on his arms and back - apparently, he had a well defined backside, too… It was so nice to watch the square, firm muscles of his buttocks move as he walked...

As he left the room, she quickly pushed aside the messed up bed covers and ducked underneath them, lying flat on her stomach and burying her face in one of the plush pillows. Also buried was a lazy grin and a sudden attack of blushing. _Yes, that was it! _she summed up covering her head with the covers. It was official; she really _was_ the naughtiest newly wedded wife in the world...

Albert, as promised, came back quickly. Lost in her own world of naughty thoughts, she barely registered any noise he made while he was off in some other part of the apartment – and he was back already. She didn't even hear his footsteps, his bare feet made it much easier as they made very little noise– the only clue that he stood next to the bed was a slight screeching from the wooden floor from under the carpet.

"Unbelievable… The one moment I take my eyes off my wife and she's gone already?"

Candy giggled quietly to herself at his teasing inquiry but didn't reply.

There was no reply from Albert either. There was however, a draft that blew in from underneath the covers, coming from where he had stood. She felt the bed bend under his weight, closer and closer to her… and a moment later, she felt a warm hand slowly moving up her back.

"There you are."

The covers were pulled away from her and a sudden shower of quick, light kisses fell on her arm. When they finally landed on the back of her neck, she sighed. These soft caresses of his lips relaxed her even more and she felt like she was about to melt.

"I've got you…" As to accentuate his words, Albert caged her body with both his arms, his chest hovering an inch or so above her back, "… and you are not getting away anywhere soon…"

"Oh…" she murmured, turning her face away from the pillow and giving him a sideway glance over her shoulder. "Am I being taken as your prisoner?"

"Yes you are." her husband's breath tickled her skin as he leaned down and nibbled on it again, "You are mine now… all mine…"

"Oh boy…" she replied wilfully, "I had no idea that my husband was _so_ possessive…"

"That... I am." Albert confirmed again, his voice muffled as his lips were becoming more and more busy with teasing her skin, "I am… possessive… of every… inch… of you…."

As his hands moved underneath her and began further exploration as far as they could reach, Candy wriggled and giggled. Apparently, rest wasn't exactly what was on her husband's mind… Not that she was going to protest… She was still mostly relaxed but under more and more daring stroking and kissing, her body was slowly waking up to life again.

The kisses ceased for a moment but not the movements of his hands. "Have you got any idea what you are doing to me, woman?" he asked her and without even waiting for her to reply he carried on, "There I was, completely exhausted and sure that I would need to take the remainder of the night to recover… and look at me now… Only a few minutes break and I want you again... You drive me crazy…"

Slowly, Candy lifted herself off the pillow, indicating that she wanted to face him. He let her, his hands now enjoying full access to her breasts as soon as she rolled onto her back.

"Do you know what?" she coaxed him with a lazy smile, letting her hand stroke her husband's face, "I am so totally, utterly _fine_ with that… and do you know why?" she paused, raising one eyebrow. "This is because I'm crazy about you too…"

The last word melted in her throat as he covered her lips with his. Their lips and tongues tangled in a deep but unhurried and unrushed kiss, as if their senses needed just that to enjoy the renewed body contact, as if haste was unwelcomed just yet. Their senses were waking up rapidly and yet, they were still far from being completely overwhelmed by desire.

As her husband's lips left hers and ventured down, onto her neck, she inhaled deeply. "Al…" she breathed out into his ear, "… love me…!"

"Oh…" a low murmur vibrated against her neck, "I will, baby, I will…"

As his caresses had remained steady and unhurried, she realized that he wasn't getting the message. "I mean…" she paused meaningfully for a second, "now."

Finally, Albert left her neck and lifted his head up to look at her. "I thought… I thought you might need more time…"

"You think too much!" she retorted softly. "I just follow what my body tells me to do..."

"Really?" he asked, his voice teasingly melodious, "Tell me then, my sweet..." he hung his voice, "...what is it _exactly_ that you want?"

"I..." she hesitated. Only for a split second, she felt something remotely akin to embarrassment for being so bold and straightforward – mostly, she just wasn't sure how to explain in the right words, her impulsive request. "I just want to… feel you… feel everything like just before the world started to spin…"

"_Feel _me?" he accentuated with a provoking smile. "Feel me _how_?"

Candy swallowed hard, feeling as her heart racing faster and faster with each passing second. "Inside." She finally whispered with a shaky but excited voice. "I want to feel you _inside_."

It took just one fluid movement and she found herself flipped over, lying on top of her husband this time. "Sit on me." He demanded softly.

Surprised by the sudden change of position and a little unsure what he was aiming for, she did as he had said. But she didn't have to wait long for an answer - once she was in an upright position, her husband's hands slid down her back and grasped her hips, motioning her to lift them. And as soon as she did so, she felt his manhood springing upwards and touching her flesh teasingly.

She understood.

"I didn't know you could do it this way…" she said wilfully.

"Oh, baby…" her husband's chuckle followed his words, "…in this… and many, _many_ other ways… You have no idea how much I have fantasised about this…"

He guided himself into her entrance but it was _her_ who willingly pressed her hips down, onto him. Unlike the first time, this time, she knew what to expect. Wild desire had yet to take over her completely and she was fully aware of each single movement. Her entire body tensed at the feel of him slowly sliding his length in. This time there was no pain, just once again this penetrating fullness – and a shiver that ran through her body when that intoxicating, apparently still sensitive spot deep within her was stroked. She moaned quietly.

"Am I hurting you?"

Swallowing hard and unable to reply, she only shook her head fervently.

"So… my lovely Miss Ever Curious…" Albert tempted her with a challenging smile and then gently rocked his hips beneath her, "Do you like the feel of me… inside?"

"Oh goodness, yeeesss…" she moaned out as another rocking movement swallowed her once again. "It's… wonderful… Do it again…"

This time it was different. The first union of their bodies happened almost at the end of long dance, when they both were already near the edge and it didn't leave any space for any thoughts. It had been instincts, instincts and once again instincts. This one was different. There was no mad rush this time; their bodies, already sated once, now sought this new pleasure more patiently, lazily learning how to move together in unison, to finally create one fluid motion. The passion between them built up gradually and steadily, allowing them to enjoy every single second of the act without missing anything.

"And you?" she whispered throatily, "Do you like the feel of… being inside me?"

Her husband's hand slipped from her hip onto her lower belly and began rubbing it in enticing, hypnotizing circles. "You have no idea how much."

Lying on the pillows, Albert watched more and more intently as his wife rocked her hips above him. He had guided her at the beginning, for her movements were unsure and uneven at first but she was learning quickly and now she was beginning to create a rhythm of her own. And she was quickening the pace. It was gradual but he felt that quite clearly.

Slowly, yes… but she _was_ becoming impatient.

Just like him.

At first, he had thought that it would be a long way for him to go, that his body was going to take its sweet time this time round. Well – he had a right to be wrong. He had simply underestimated his own, male nature; the view of the petite but shapely feminine body, the view of the pair of firm round breasts, bouncing slightly up and down as she moved, and finally, the view of his manhood disappearing rhythmically between her stretched thighs – all this was quickly pushing him towards the edge.

Much too quickly.

He closed his eyes, hoping that it would help him to hold back – but the view stubbornly remained underneath his eyelids.

His hands were beginning to be eager to touch more than her hips and thighs; he wanted to caress her whole body, feel it whole, close to his own, feel it trembling under his touch…

He didn't ponder much. Quickly, he rose from the pillows, sat up and wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, pulling her tightly against him. He didn't really know what to do with his hands; they wanted to be everywhere and touch everything at the same time. He let them wander wildly all over her body, mapping every curve he could reach.

"Impatient… are we?"

Despite being more and more clouded with desire, he didn't miss the teasing note in his wife's breathless voice. He looked up, meeting her mocking gaze for a second and then, buried his face into her neck. "Very." he muttered.

With all his strength he managed to keep the last slip of his control. He didn't know how but he sensed that she was a little behind him. Her every movement was more insistent than the previous one but she still didn't reach the point of no return – and he was very, very close to it. He either had to force himself to slow down somehow – or do everything he could to drive _her_ faster towards the edge.

He let her lead while he tried to focus on her body. He didn't have to hold her; she did it for him, linking her hands around his neck. His hands quickly found her breasts and began caressing them gently, grazing his thumbs over her nipples. The way she gasped, the way her body arched back told him that he had most probably chosen right. And when after a moment of this continuous rhythm, her movements became really demanding, he knew he _did _choose right.

While he still had a lot to learn about her body, there were a few things he had learnt already. And now his manly imagination offered him one more thing he could do. He abandoned one breast and slowly slid his hand between their bodies. The moment his fingers touched the wet flesh of her womanhood, at the spot where their bodies were joined, she gasped even louder, shakily and tightened her grip on him. His hand felt uncomfortable in this position but he couldn't care less; the way her body was responding to his caress was paying off for any discomfort.

And soon, caresses were no longer needed. She reached the point where the inner tension transformed into the nagging urge for a release and now she aimed just for that. She wasn't even receiving the pleasure from him; she was _taking _it and the wildness of her own movements tore off any reins of control from him. He held her tightly against himself and lost himself in the passionate lovemaking.

First, the world around them ceased to exist.

Then, there was a fire burning him alive.

Then he felt like _he_ ceased to exist.

And then, there was only bliss.

.

.

Consciousness was coming back slowly.

First, there was awareness that his heart was still beating. He could even hear it.

Then, there was realization that it wasn't his heart that was pounding, but _hers_, racing wildly against his ear.

Then, he let go of the air he held in his lungs for God knows how long and immediately gasped for more.

Then, there was awareness of their bodies, still trembling in each other's tight grasp.

And then, as the trembling gradually subsided, it was overtaken by this overwhelming, all consuming weakness. He literally felt all his limbs go limp and he had just enough strength to support himself on his hand before lying down. He dragged his wife with him; she fell almost lifelessly onto his chest, a deep sigh escaping her lips. One of her curls tickled his nose but he couldn't even be bothered to brush it off. He just layed there; one of his hands tangled deeply in his wife's dishevelled hair and the other, loosely resting around her waist. He didn't even feel like opening his eyes. He was quite content just the way he was.

If anyone asked him how exactly he felt, he wouldn't have been able to explain it. Not that he felt the need to explain anything. His mind was now absolutely and so wonderfully blank and he was absolutely fine with that. There were moments in life in which one could switch off and this was definitely one of those moments. All that was important to him right now was the complete contentment of being exactly where he was.

He simply felt fulfilled.

He was just where he belonged.

It was just that simple.

How long they layed in silence, he couldn't tell. He had felt his wife stirring minutely, as if she tried to get into an even more comfortable position. He heard her quiet sighs – but soon even that ceased, even her fingers stopped skimming his chest. Her body relaxed even more than it had before and he began to suspect that she had dozed off.

"Candy?" he managed a hoarse whisper.

There was no reply and she didn't say anything when he repeated her name again. He first made sure that she had indeed really dozed off and then he had nothing against doing exactly the same.

The last thing he remembered before falling asleep himself was the seemingly impossible task of reaching out his hand and pulling the covers over them. Somehow he had managed and seconds later, he too drifted off.

O O O

Even before she opened her eyes, she knew it was going to be another beautiful, sunny day. The joyous chirping of the birds outside in the park was the best sign of that for her. They behaved completely different when rain was expected.

But the day wasn't beautiful just because of the sunny weather. Something, or rather someone, else made it wonderful, right from the start…

Was it the awareness that she wasn't in the bed alone?

Was it the warmth of the body she was cuddled to?

Was it this distinct, masculine scent that was filling her nostrils?

Or, was it the overwhelming lazy pulsing of satisfaction that ran – she could swear – in every single one of her veins?

Probably all of them – and then some more.

Candy opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she saw was simply, naked skin. At some point in the night, she must have slid off Albert's body because now she was curled up by his side, with her head tucked in a funny way in a niche between his arm and chest, the latter directly in her view. She smiled to herself and gently nuzzled his skin with her nose. He didn't even move.

Then, without lifting her head, she glanced up and blinked. The room was flooded with bright sunlight; the curtains weren't drawn last night and the very thin net-curtains did nothing to stop the sunbeams from bursting their way in. She sighed quietly with content and let her still heavy eyelids droop lazily. She was awake but it didn't mean she had to get up just yet.

But being lazily relaxed didn't mean being completely still. Her free hand made its way up and reached across his chest; it was supposed to be only a way of snuggling herself closer to her husband's larger frame but before she even knew, her fingers began skimming lightly on his skin. She let her mind still wander about in the world of idleness – and the only thing she focused on at all was her sense of touch.

It was so nice and calming to feel his skin under her fingers. She really liked it; it was like everything else in her body was still half-asleep and the only contact with reality was exactly through her fingertips. So she let her fingers wander randomly, without any specific destination or direction, changing their course if they met any obstacle. His bulging muscles became hills, the deep gaps between them – valleys lying on her way and which she was crossing carefully, probing every inch of those little canyons for their shallow ends to finally escape and climb another hill…

Her hand wandered and wandered. And wandered… Little did she realize that it was gradually wandering away from her husband's chest and venturing south, lower south. The only thing she focused on was the feel of his skin, without knowing which part of his body it was covering, she didn't even fully realize what she was actually doing…

"That's highly impolite, to molest a person when they're asleep." A low, lazy murmur rumbled under her cheek, deep within Albert's chest.

Candy winced, startled and realizing where her hand was, instinctively withdrew and moved it higher.

"Put it back where it was…" Another rumbled murmur said demandingly as a warm hand heavily rested on hers before motioning it back to its previous position on his abdomen. "…and play with me all you want, as long as I'm awake to enjoy it…"

Candy blushed and slowly dragged herself upwards, supporting herself on her elbow. Albert had his eyes still closed but as she continued to stare at his face, he finally cracked one eye open and glanced at her.

"Well, good morning to you too." She uttered in a dreamy state.

"I would have said..." His eye closed again and began to stretch. It began with only the lifting of his arms up and letting her out of the embrace, then, it gradually changed into the stretching every single limb and she could clearly feel the muscles of his abdomen working and trembling minutely under her fingers. Finally, his body relaxed and his left arm reclaimed their last position around her shoulders. "…that it's a very, _very _good morning." He finished.

"Look at yourself, William Albert Andrew!" Candy scoffed facetiously, resisting the urge of following his footsteps. "Stretching like a lazy, happy cat that had gotten a good nights sleep!"

"Yeah, something like that…" Her husband replied smugly. "Yes indeed, I have never slept better, even though I hardly got any..."

Smiling, she poked his stomach with a finger, causing his body to bolt upwards slightly and once more snuggled into his embrace. He also held her a little closer, his free hand leisurely stroking her hair. She resumed her gentle caresses, only now, more conscious of where her hand was moving.

"One thing's for sure." Albert murmured again, "I think I am definitely going to like mornings like this one…"

"Yeah… especially after…" she hung her voice and after a meaningful pause, accentuating each word, she added, "Not getting any sleep?"

Her husband's chest shook minutely as he chuckled. "That, too." He replied. "But I guess I simply like the idea of waking up with you in my arms."

She shifted her head slightly so she could get a better angle to look at him. Her gaze met her husband's half-open one for a few seconds before he buried his face in her hair again.

"I'm happy just to know that your face will be the first one that I will always see when I wake up." He said softly.

"Me too. She admitted. "I think I will like being your wife."

"You _think_? Try _not _to," Albert's voice sounded a teasing warning, "and I will _make _you like it."

"Oh… really?" she snickered. "I wonder _how_ you can possibly make me?"

She soon got her reply but not exactly the way she had expected. Before she knew what had happened, she found herself lying flat on her stomach, with her body pinned down to the mattress and her with both hands immobilized above her head. And before she had a chance to ask or say anything, her entire body exploded and strongly twisted, reacting to the activity of her husband's fingers. Albert tickled her mercilessly, going directly for the parts he discovered to be the most vulnerable and it took barely seconds later before she desperately begged him to stop.

"Say that you _do _like being my wife already!" he demanded almost emotionlessly.

"I… do…!" she uttered between fits of gasps and giggles, wriggling wildly to try and free herself from his unrelenting grasp. "Sto-oop!"

"Say that you will _always_ like being my wife." he continued in the same manner.

"I…I…" she stammered. Even if she had a different answer, if she wanted to oppose it, it would have been impossible to do so under this unrelenting and merciless torture. Of course, giving the answer she _wanted_ was also impossible, due to her lack of breath! "I… ha ha ha…! Plea… se…!"

"Promise!" he pressed, his fingers never stopping the agony.

"Prom…" she managed before another fit of wild laughter cut her word in half, "…m-mise…!"

As soon as she spoke the last syllable, he finally ceased his onslaught. "See? _This_ is how I can make you." he summed up indifferently and slid off her body.

"This… This was a violent assault on my freedom of speech!" she bemoaned buoyantly, still laughing breathlessly. "You almost gave me a heart attack! How nice! We've been married for less that twenty four hours and you are already attempting to kill me!"

"Speaking of hours…" Albert lightly changed the subject, as if she didn't say anything at all, "What time is it?"

Without waiting for her to answer, he glanced at the clock standing on the night stand and suddenly, he began to rush. By the time she sat up, he was already out of the bed and wrapping himself in the process with one of the sheets he had snatched up from the covers.

"Albert?" she asked hesitantly, startled by his behavior. "What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed?" he replied in a matter-of-factly tone, picking up his discarded trousers. "I don't know about you but I, after our nightly activities, am ravenously hungry."

And within a matter of seconds, he was gone from the room.

Candy shook her head. _And they say that unexpected changes in mood are a woman's domain…_

Puzzled or not, she too got up and just out of habit, she reached out to the hook on the door, only to realize that she wouldn't find her night gown in its usual place; she remembered that it was left in her room back at the mansion…

Wanting to wear something just to go to bathroom, she picked up from the floor her husband's shirt and quickly wrapped it around her body. _It might as well serve as a dressing gown for me, _she thought, amused, folding the cuffs back at least twice before her palms showed up.

Even before she left the bedroom, she knew just from the noises coming from the kitchen that Albert was already busy and bustling in there. And indeed, as she entered, the first thing she saw was her husband. Or, more precisely, his back as he was busy ferreting through her larder.

"You don't have much in here." He noted after noticing her presence.

"I didn't want to buy too much in the past few days." She explained. "The apartment will be left empty and I didn't want the food to go off…"

He only nodded, acknowledging her reasoning.

"Albert… leave it." she said softly. "I will cook something for us. I just need to take a shower first. Just make some coffee, okay?"

Smiling delicately, she turned and headed for the bathroom.

There, she got a little shock.

The woman who looked back at her from the mirror definitely didn't look as enchanting as she had looked the day before. Her make up was smudged around her eyes here and there, her hair was even more wild and tangled than it usually was and she possessed a pair of lips so sensually swollen that there was no mistake to what might have been the cause of it. As she took the shirt off, she realized, a little bit late, that there were marks on her body that spoke of the passion that she was loved with. Her neck alone bore two hickeys, one slightly darker than the other – and similar marks were scattered here and there across her breasts.

_We did all this?_

Blushing, once again she looked upon her face in the mirror, took in all the details, every single one, including her messed up hair.

_And he saw me like this!_

Not hesitating any longer, she quickly washed her face, making sure that all the smudges had disappeared and her skin looked as usual. She failed to comb her hair – with the amount of wax, hair cream or whatever else her hairdresser had applied onto it yesterday, it was impossible to separate all the knots without tearing a significant amount of hair off from her skull. She understood that she had to wash it first. And so she did. She turned the gas boiler on and once it was running at full pace, she stepped into the large bathtub.

And it indeed, helped. After she was done with the showering, when she stood wrapped in a large towel, combing her little nightmare didn't seem as impossible as it had seemed previously.

Before going back to the kitchen, she went to the bedroom, picked up one of her summer dresses from the wardrobe and quickly changed. If she was to do anything in the kitchen, a towel wasn't really a good choice of clothing. Neither was the wet hair that kept on falling onto her face so she tied it loosely with a ribbon.

Walking through the living room she could hear the water running in the bathroom; Albert didn't waste any time to take a shower too, apparently. She passed by the door and walked into the kitchen, intensively thinking how little food she had in the larder and what she could make out of it. _Not my fault, _she excused herself to herself. _I really wasn't expecting to come back here for many, many days…_

Luckily for her, she still had the most basic of ingredients and juggling with the proportions, she began cooking. And surprisingly, she wasn't even half way through when Albert came back in, all washed, with drops of water still dripping from his roguishly combed hair. All he wore was his trousers and she glanced with appreciation at his body. "Hey, half-naked man!" she called playfully. "Can you get the cutlery ready? I will be done here in a moment."

Lazily, he walked to her and encircled his arms around her waist. "Eggs with pasta and cheese… two fried sausages… and matzo (45)?" he inspected from above her shoulder.

"I don't have enough bread for both of us." She explained. "But if you want, I can go to the grocery shop down the road…"

"Nah, it will do." He cut in quick and kissed the top of her head. "No time for shopping now."

She sighed with relief but his last words instantaneously made her wonder. Seriously, what was the hurry? Wasn't this supposed to be just a nice, relaxing morning, their very important _first_ morning as a newly married couple?

This though, didn't leave her mind as they ate. And it had a reason. Through the last year, it had been many times that they had prepared meals together but usually Albert liked to relish the food; today however, he was eating surprisingly fast.

"Baby…" she asked finally, when they had almost finished, "What's the hurry?"

"I thought you were never going to ask." He replied, flashing her a quick grin. "Haven't you noticed what time it is now?"

"Eleven, but again, what's the rush? Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?"

This time, to her utter surprise, he laughed out loud. "Oh dear!" he uttered. "I'm really, really flattered that in my presence you seem to have forgotten about the entire world, really..." he hung his voice for just long enough to make her want to strangle him for being such a tease. "I don't think I have ever met or even heard of any bride who could forget her own honeymoon!" he finished.

"Ho-… Honeymoon!" The understanding finally dawned at her, sharply and clearly. Seriously, _how_ on Earth could she forget that? "What time is the train leaving?" she exclaimed nervously, almost jumping off the chair.

"In three hours. That's plenty of time to repack your luggage."

"Oh, three hours is enough…" she sighed with relief and then suddenly frowned. If Albert's first sentence had made her almost relaxed, the next sentence had brought her back to an alerted state of mind. "Excuse me…?" she inquired slowly, wanting to make sure that she didn't mishear, "Do _what_?"

"I have our suitcases in the car's trunk downstairs but you need to… rearrange the contents yourself." Her husband explained calmly. "Where we are going, you won't need so much."

Disbelievingly, Candy sat back on her chair, the rest of the food on her plate had now been left completely forgotten. "I spent nearly a week deciding in great pain what to take with me, without even knowing where we are actually going, just because you decided to keep it as a surprise and now you are telling me to _repack_?" she nearly growled. "Only a man can be as naïve as to think that a woman is capable of _repacking _within only an hour!"

"I heard stories of this girl called Candy who was capable of packing in minutes when she was a teenager." Albert replied innocently, calmly finishing his food.

"That was different!" she protested lively, feeling her temper rapidly rising to the point of screaming in helpless frustration. "I was younger… and I had much less to pack… and it wasn't for the honeymoon, for goodness sake! Care to at least inform me about our destination_ now_, so at least I know what to take?"

"Of course!"

And as he, in few words, revealed his plan, her eyes grew stupendous in disbelief. She instantaneously forgot that she was just about to get really, really angry.

"You are kidding me, right?"

His wicked grin and a teasing up and down wag of his eyebrows told her that he wasn't.

O O O

©GosieKin 2011

(45) Matzo – simple bread made out of plain flour and water, no yeast added. Fried on very thin oil.


	30. INTO THE SUNSET

**CHAPTER THIRTY: INTO THE SUNSET**

"Just make sure you have everything from the list; the rest is just additional. The less of this fancy stuff you take the better."

Candy didn't even spare a glance at her husband, who towered above her; she was too busy, once again, running through the things she had prepared for packing. All the clothes and items she chose were scattered around her on the floor and she sat among this little mess, making sure she ticked every position from the said list and right after, depositing the ticked item into her suitcase.

She was very excited of course about where they were going and yet, she couldn't help but to still feel a bit angry at Albert for this situation he had put her into. She just couldn't understand how he, usually so well organized, could allow such thing. A surprise was one thing, she appreciated his intentions but still, she was a woman, for goodness sake! How could he expect a _woman_ to be able to re-pack in such a short amount of time? His luggage was ready, fully prepared probably a week ago, she rambled in her thoughts. All he had to do after bringing the suitcases from the car was to change his clothes, and there he was, all ready for the road – while she was barely halfway through re-arranging hers with only barely two more hours left.

But her inner ramblings didn't stop what she was doing; her hands moved quickly and the mess around her soon gradually disappeared. She was afraid that one hour wouldn't be enough – but when she was finally done and glanced at the clock, she realized that from the hour that she had, only fifteen minutes had passed. She sighed with relief; they would make it. Easily.

From the living room she could hear Albert's voice but it was clear he wasn't talking to her. She stood up, walked to the door and peeked through the gap; he was on the phone, asking the person on the other end to come to the train station. It wasn't hard to guess who it was and indeed, two sentences later she had her confirmation; the person on the other end was George. _Poor George, _she thought with sympathy, _because of us, he probably didn't get much sleep… Not only did he get back to his apartment late but he was woken up so early..._

She turned back to her preparations. The clothes she was leaving behind needed to be put back in the wardrobe and she began doing that without any delay. And with this done, she once again scanned the room, trying to spot if there was anything she might have missed. Her wedding dress hung from the wardrobe on the rack next to Albert's tuxedo. She would have to ask Hannah to take care of them later... Nothing seemed amiss, maybe except the bed that needed to be done... this will be the next thing she will do...

She carried on with her room check up and her gaze rested for a moment on her night stand, attracted by the glint of metal that came from there. _And the jewellery,_ she noted to herself. She wasn't going to take it with her but she also couldn't risk leaving them behind in her apartment either. It was a good thing they were going to meet with George at the station; he was a person she definitely would trust with returning the family heirloom back to the safe in the mansion.

But upon reaching her hand for the jewellery, she frowned. The little shiny mountain of gold and emeralds definitely looked much smaller a pile than it did last night. And as she picked it up, she knew she wasn't imagining things; on the night stand there was only the necklace. The bracelet was missing.

Her frown deepened as she searched her memory. For a moment, she couldn't recall when the last time she had seen the bracelet. Was it possible she lost it during the Highland Dance? The moves were wild enough! But, no, she remembered taking it off when she was in her room with Annie. So later then...

The rest of the night was a bit blurry but the more she thought about it, the more bits and pieces she could recall; one of them was when her locks had tangled within the links of the gold chains when she was checking her hair and Mrs. Cornwell, helping her to remove it; then, herself, pushing the bracelet higher up when she had been washing her hands later on… More even; she definitely had it on during her last dance with Albert and later, when he dragged her down the stairs to the garden; she still recalled the pressure of the metal on her skin when he held onto her wrist then…

So when? In the garden, when she was getting in the car? That would have been a disaster! Or later, when they arrived at her apartment? Immediately, the image of the priceless family heirloom dropped onto the sidewalk downstairs and picked up by absolutely anyone who could pass by crossed her mind, followed by a wave of cold panic. No, no, it would have been a complete disaster! At least in the mansion, whoever would have found it, would give it back but here…? It would have been lost forever!

Without thinking, she placed the necklace back on the night stand and dashed for the door and downstairs. The panic must have given her wings because she covered the stairs in no time and ran from the door and into the noisy street.

But of course the sidewalk outside her house was empty, with no tale-tell shine anywhere to be seen.

It didn't help that she looked under the car – it was just as empty as the sidewalk.

Ignoring the puzzled and suspicious looks from the people that were passing by were giving her, she stood up from the cold concrete and tried to look inside the car. Unfortunately, the raised window didn't allow her the full view. She would have to open the car door first to have a proper look.

"Candy, what are you doing?"

Albert's voice surprised her; he couldn't have come at both the worst and the best time. With her heart racing faster and faster in both fear and urgency, she turned away from the car. "Have you got the car keys on you?"

"Yes, but why…?"

"Do you have them?" she cut in with a shaky, impatient voice and when Albert produced the keys from his pocket, she grabbed them fervently. Her trembling hands didn't help much but she finally managed to open the door.

But inside she also found nothing and she felt a cold sweat running down her back.

"What are you doing, Candy?"Albert repeated as she straightened up. "Are you looking for something?"

How to tell the man she loved that she had probably lost his wedding gift? How to confess that she was not worthy of the trust of taking care of the family heirloom?

With the worry written all over her face, she turned. "I..." she stammered. "I'm only hoping that I'm wrong... I have to be wrong... Otherwise..."

"Candy... in English, please..." on Albert's face a total puzzlement showed, "What are you talking about?"

"If I'm right, if I really lost it here..." she continued indefatigably, slowly loosing control over her voice, "it would be a disaster! It would be lost forever! No one would give such a thing back! And it's my fault! My fault totally! I knew it! I knew I am not good enough to have it!"

"Again..." Albert cut in, walked to her and calmly placed his hands on her shoulders, "what are you talking about?"

"I think I've lost it. The bracelet." She said finally on the verge of breaking into tears. "Aunt Elroy had warned me to be careful because it was a bit loose for me... but it was held in place no problem when I was wearing gloves... But I later took them off and it must have slipped... I lost it Albert, I lost it!" she burst out, once again earning herself some puzzled looks from the passers-by. "I must have lost it when I got of the car and somebody probably found it..."

"Candy..."

"I just knew it!" she carried on, turning her head away. She wasn't able to look at him now, she didn't want to see the disappointment and anger in his eyes. "I knew I couldn't be trusted with such precious jewellery! I didn't deserve them! I'm not good enough for them! I can't even take care of my own earrings!"

"Candy..."

"I know you are going to hate me for this and your family too..." she cried out desperately. "So many years in the family and now..."

To her surprise she felt a hand covering her mouth which efficiently cut her off. "Are you done panicking when there's no reason to?" he asked.

Now, she was puzzled. What did he mean by 'no reason to'?

"Do you always have to jump to conclusions so quickly, without even considering other options?" Albert asked her with a slight smile and as she lifted her eyebrows higher in a silent question, he dropped the hand that was covering her mouth. "Did it even occur to you that you are looking in a wrong place?"

"You mean..." she looked at him in mild disbelief, at the same time feeling hope rising shyly. She was indeed panicking but her trust for Albert and his reasonable judgement was slowly winning. He wouldn't mess with her if he wasn't sure what he was saying. "You mean I might have lost it somewhere else? God, let it be true! If I dropped it in the mansion or in the garden, then maybe it's not lost like I feared..."

"None of the above." Albert interrupted her again. "I remember that you definitely had it when we went upstairs last night."

"Are you sure?

Oh, how she prayed it to be truth! How she wished he wasn't mistaken on that!

"I am." Albert shut the car door behind her and after locking it, put the keys back in his pocket. "I even remember that at some point I wanted to take it off your hand because... Anyway..." he quickly changed the subject, "why aren't you upstairs already, searching when you have a chance to find it?"

She wasn't going to waste a single second and bounded up the stairs.

.

When Albert entered the apartment again, the living room was empty. But he had no problems guessing where his wife might be; the noises that came from the bedroom indicated more than quite clearly that she was in there, probably tearing the place upside down. And he wasn't mistaken; as he stood at the open door, the predicted view greeted his eyes. Candy was kneeling on the edge of the bed, frantically digging into the displaced covers.

"In the bed?" he inquired.

"Last night we were only in living room and then the bedroom." Candy replied without turning. "I don't remember having it on in the morning so it must have slipped off here..."

"What about the floor in living room?"

"Checked already." She replied. "Can you help me here? It would be quicker..."

Without protest, he joined her but he didn't let his emotions guide him. He too was very worried about the missing bracelet but he knew that if it was indeed in the bed, with such randomness of the search they had a high chance of missing it. Without a word, he began searching more methodically, stripping the covers away one by one and checking their every fold and crease and after a moment, he noticed that Candy followed suit.

"Sometimes I think someone must have placed a curse on me." She moaned while lifting up the pillows. "It feels like I'm bound to lose everything that is valuable."

"Don't say that." He disagreed. While he would silently agree that his wife still showed some glimpses of her former carelessness, it definitely wasn't a constant state. "Firstly, it can happen to anyone. Secondly, you haven't lost anything. It's somewhere here and you will find it sooner or later."

"Better sooner than later. Because train or not, if I won't find it I'm not leaving!"

He didn't fancy arguing with her determination. Instead, he focused on the careful search ahead of them even more. He wasn't really worried at first. The bracelet had to be somewhere here! Candy was right; last night they went straight to her bedroom and he clearly remembered that she wore it at the beginning of their intimate game. The image of him, pushing the bracelet higher up so he could have better access to her wrist was all too real to be just fruits of imagination. So it had to be somewhere on the bed! He was sure that they would find it; it was only a matter of tick tocks.

But time was precisely what they were lacking most. As the minutes passed and the search was still unsuccessful, even he began feeling nervous. Moreover; he couldn't fully contain it. The precious time was gradually running out and it really looked like they would have to miss their train. That alone would be such a big problem, he could always call the station and reschedule the tickets for the next day – he had done it in the past – but there was also a ferry to catch later on and changing _that_ reservation wouldn't be as easy. There were no guarantees that he would get a place on the ferry on the oncoming day, days or perhaps even weeks. These tickets were sometimes sold weeks in advance and even his money wouldn't help much if the list of passengers was full.

And finally, when he was one hundred percent convinced that they will miss the train and he was ready to get off the bed to call the station, suddenly Candy straightened up, the last of the very wrinkled pillows in her hands and made a startling, high-pitched scream.

"Oh dear God, I found it!" she squeaked out next, panting with relief. "Albert, I found it!"

Without waiting for his response, she began stripping the pillow out of its white case. Only when that was done and she stuck her hand into the case, only to retrieve the object with another triumphant scream, with her fingers curled around the twinkling bracelet, he understood with mild shock; at some point the bracelet somehow ended up deep inside the pillowcase.

"How on Earth did it…?" he uttered and tearing his gaze from Candy's hands, looked up at her face. "How did we…?"

He promptly went silent, seeing a bright blush rapidly blossoming on his wife's cheeks. He raised his eyebrow and a small smile involuntarily crept upon his lips. She must have been thinking the same he had; that their 'nightly activities' were rather intense… intense enough to cause the rather heavy bracelet to be lost without them even noticing! And where!

"Never mind."He finished, shaking his head slightly, as if dismissing some thought. As if he could so easily dismiss the image that suddenly stuck in his mind; the image of their bodies tangled together in a passionate embrace and oblivious to everything else around! "Now, we really need to hurry." He carried on in a much calmer tone, jumping back again into his usual, decisive self. "Finish packing and in the meantime, I will take my suitcase downstairs."

With a much lighter heart, relieved from the fear of them, missing their honeymoon, he carried his luggage to the car and deposited it into the trunk. He came back upstairs, hoping that Candy's suitcase would be ready too. And to his relief, it was. But the relief quickly changed into puzzlement again when he saw that the suitcase's owner, rather than getting ready herself, was busy with something else entirely different.

"Candy?" he asked with growing impatience. "Why on Earth are you making the bed?"

"I have to!" she replied, gasping. "I can't leave the bed like that."

"Candy, what's wrong with you? We are leaving and I'm sure the apartment can be left in a mess until we come back!"

"This is where _you_ are wrong." She differed, not even for a moment to stop changing the bed covers. "I will have a guest here while we are gone. Do you really want somebody to sleep in the same bed linen we used… on our wedding night?" she finished her sentence after a little pause.

Albert only shook his head. "And it didn't occur to you that you could have asked Hannah to send one of the maids here later?"

"For as long as I'm alive, I will clean after myself." Candy stated firmly. For some reason a heavy blush once again stained her cheeks but he thought it was from struggling with the covers. "Now, please, just take my suitcase to the car. I only need two more minutes and then I'm done."

Shaking his head at her stubbornness, he complied. But she kept her word; by the time he had come back, she was indeed, done with the bedroom. Done to the extent of being gone from there.

He found her in the bathroom.

"Are you _now _ready to go?" he shouted out through the loud splashing of running water.

"Almost!" he heard, as she shouted back. "Just one more minute, I swear!"

Albert looked at his wrist watch and counted quickly. They still had about forty five minutes left until the train's departure and they could still make that, for as long as there were absolutely no more delays.

While he waited for Candy to emerge from the bathroom, he once again walked around the apartment, checking on everything. All the windows in the apartment were securely locked and in the kitchen, everything after their breakfast had been cleaned up; he took care of it, all earlier on, while she was packing. Knowing Candy's habits for when she was leaving for longer than a day, he knew they would also have to turn the gas and the water off but with that, he had to wait until she was done with using the water in the bathroom. Apart from that, everything else seemed fine.

Once again, Candy had kept her word; she stormed out of the bathroom, finishing buttoning up her summer dress. "Sorry… I just _had _to refresh myself after all of that!" she shouted as she ran across the living room and her last words came to him when she was inside the bedroom. Merely seconds later, she came out from there too, carrying her purse in one hand and a hat in the other and before he could say a word, she hurried towards the kitchen. A quiet, squeaky noise told him that in all this rushing about, she didn't forget to switch the gas off and he smiled lightly.

"We can go now." She announced with a huff, standing before him.

"You don't say. Seriously? Are you sure?" he teased.

She nodded eagerly.

"The jewelry?" he wanted to make sure.

"Here." Candy patted her big purse. "But don't worry, I'm not taking it with me. I'm going to ask George to put it back in the mansion's safe."

"Yeah, that's the best."

After locking the door carefully, they quickly dashed downstairs and entered the car. Without wasting anymore time, Albert turned the key in the ignition.

Nothing happened.

No sound.

Nothing.

They both looked at each other in silence for a few seconds.

With bated breath, he tried again and this time, the engine burst into life. With a sigh of relief, Albert maneuvered the car out and sped down towards Roosevelt Road, the fastest route towards the train station. Initially, too busy dealing with the traffic, it took him a while before he realized that Candy too, was silent. At the first opportunity, he looked in her direction and his eyes widened in surprise. Candy sat there in her seat with her purse on her lap and a small notepad placed on top of it, hastily scribbling something down.

"What are you writing there, sweetheart?" he asked, intrigued.

"Just a few short letters." Candy said absently, without taking her pen off the page. "I will give them to George to deliver."

He didn't press her into revealing any more information and focused back on his driving, letting her finish what she was doing. He could definitely her ask later; now, he had a mission to accomplish – get to the station on time!

Candy kept writing quickly, as quickly as the vibrating car would allow her. After finishing the first page, she carefully tore it out from the notepad, folded it in half and slid it into an envelope that had she pulled from between the pages of the notepad. She didn't seal it however but only tucked it back in under the notepad and began hurriedly, writing another letter.

'_Dearest Annie and Patty,_

_Forgive me for addressing both of you in the same letter. It's not laziness – I simply don't have enough time to write two separate messages. You see, we have only a few minutes before we board the train. Forgive me also for my terrible handwriting – I'm writing on my knee as we drive to the station._

_I wanted to thank you both for everything you have done for me, for all your support during the entire wedding. I don't know what I would have done without you! I could never ask for better friends. I'm sorry I didn't thank you last night in person; I didn't get time for that. I disappeared because I was…well… kidnapped. By whom, you can guess yourself. The rest, you can guess too. And let's just leave it at that._

_Right now we are in a rushing to get to the train station. We overslept but I didn't even notice, carrying on with the morning as if I had all the time in the world. Would you believe that on my bliss I forgot we had a train to catch? It's confirmed now – if there's anything reliable about me, it would be my forgetfulness._

_Arthritic Aunt Ann' (I hope you will forgive me this joke), could you do me a favor? We had to leave my wedding dress and Albert's tuxedo in my apartment. There wasn't any time for running back to the mansion (alright, fine, we simply didn't want to risk exposing ourselves to Aunt Elroy's wrath after our rude escape yesterday). Both these garments need cleaning. Could you make sure that they will be taken care off? Just tell Hannah and give her the key which I include._

_Patty, sweetie… I hope you had lots of fun last night? Don't for a moment think that I was too busy to notice how popular my friend was amongst the invited youth… one man especially… I hope he behaved himself; otherwise, he would have to deal with me and the wrath of my anger! And Albert's - for it is __**his **__school__friend!_

_I will do my best to write to you both from where I will be kidnapped to. We will certainly talk about the aforementioned man too, so Patty, don't you dare disappear unexpectedly! No trips to New York or Florida before I come back, please! (Unless urgent and absolutely necessary)_

_With all my fussy demands being said, I hug you both. Annie, give my love to little Patrick. And well, Archie too, so he doesn't feel excluded…_

_Yours, Candy'_

The letter came to be two pages long this time and like with the previous one, she slid it into another envelope. Just like before, she didn't seal that either; for a moment, she rummaged through her purse and after finding what she was looking for, slipped a flat, metal item into the envelope too, between the pages. Another identical item, this time with a silver chain attached to it, was placed into the first envelope and quickly, both letters were sealed. The last thing she did was to write the names of the recipients on the front of each of the letters and she was done.

Just in time, too! Nearly as soon as she had begun putting everything back into her purse, Albert crossed the last junction that separated them from the station, now here they were. The screeching of abused wheels and brakes announced their arrival as the car maneuvered between the few others on the side of the street.

It wasn't really surprising that George was already here, waiting for them. He surely must have had arrived at the station much earlier than them, it was just natural to believe so. He also must have noticed them as they drove down the street because when they had parked up, he appeared on the sidewalk almost if by magic. He was at the passenger side and had the door opened for her before she could blink twice. They only exchanged a quick greeting before he joined Albert in retrieving both suitcases from out of the trunk. After that, they carefully locked all car doors and Albert passed his car keys onto George.

There was no time to wait around for any bell boys to turn up; both men simply pulled the luggage behind, one each and with surprising agility, maneuvered between the other passengers towards the main building. All she had to do was to follow them and follow as fast as she could, for they, having longer legs than her, walked at a much quicker pace. So she walked behind, having glimpsed how well tuned those two were with each other. It definitely must have had a lot to do with all those business trips they went on together.

As soon as they entered the vast waiting hall, they were immediately surrounded by its usual loud noised. The loud hum of the passengers' chatter, clinking rattles and the squeaking of worn luggage carts being pulled across the floor, the coaxing shouts from newspaper boys and many other, unidentified sounds attacked their ears and accompanied them all the way to the other exit. Candy restrained herself from covering her ears, just like every time she was at the station, sighed with relief when they finally came out onto the platform.

The ICR(46) train was already there and for a moment, they walked along it, Albert carefully reading the numbers on the side of each car. Finally, he pointed out a carriage to George and without any further comments, both men pulled the luggage to the nearest door.

Candy glanced at her small wristwatch. They had merely minutes left. She looked around the platform, quickly spotting one of many boys selling newspapers. Briskly, wanting to be back before both men came back out, she walked to him and ran through the titles he held in his hands. Seconds later when she had found what she wanted, she took the two newspapers, folded them into a tight roll, tucked them under her arm and reached into her purse to pay the boy.

Both Albert and George were already out and back on the platform when she got back and as she joined them, Albert was giving George some last minute instructions. "… and I will wire you when we arrive." She only managed to hear the last part of his sentence as George nodded.

None of them said anything else and it looked like they were done exchanging any important information. She didn't want to interrupt them earlier but she also had things she needed to speak with George about and now was the time.

"George…" she began softly, "I'm so sorry we had to bother you so early in the morning."

"It's not a problem at all." George reassured her smoothly. Too smoothly; she knew too well how easily it came to him reassuring others that they didn't abuse him.

"I just want you to know that we wouldn't have called you if we really had another choice. But you were the only one we could trust and who didn't spend the night at the mansion. Now, I feel even worse, because I have a favor to ask of you too…"

"How can I help, Ma`am?" he offered immediately.

She was just about to simply say what she had to, when his last word rang like a bell in her ears. And made her understand something had she missed thus far; she _really _wasn't a 'Miss' anymore. But while she was fine with her new 'Mrs. Andrew' title, the 'Ma'am' thing just rubbed on her nerves. "Did you hear that? Did you hear that, Albert?" she exclaimed spontaneously, "He called me 'Ma`am'! Now everybody is going to call me 'Ma`am'! I feel like an old matron already, it's horrible!"

"You should have thought about this _before_ you married me..." smiled Albert.

"I might rethink that" she snapped back facetiously and turned again to George. Holding the newspapers tighter under her arm so they wouldn't fall out, she reached into her purse and retrieved both letters. "Since you will be going back to the mansion, could you please give this to Tom, when you see him?" she said, handling him the first one letter. "And this one to Annie."

"Of course, Ma`am."

"George!" she frowned at him but their friend only looked back at her innocently as he slipped both letter into the inner pocket of his coat. "Do not call me that! I forbid you to call me 'Ma`am' before I'm at least forty five!"

"George…" Albert's smile became wider, "you must forgive my wife. She is just all about _formalities, _you know_..."_

"Anyway, as _I_ was speaking…" she continued as if he didn't say anything, "I have one far more important thing …" And once again, her hand dove into her purse and pulled out another item, this time with much more care than with the letters. "Can I trust you with putting it back in the safe?" she asked quietly, in a serious tone, stepping closer to George and discreetly showing him something from within the confines of her purse. "I can't take them with me and I don't want to risk leaving them behind in my apartment…"

After having a glance at what she was holding, George simply nodded in confirmation and reached out his hand to her as if he wanted to shake her hands goodbye. She understood his clue and reached out hers too and to those standing aside, it could have seemed like they were really just shaking hands. She hoped that no one had noticed when she passed something onto his hands in the process. The small velvet bag she gave him disappeared within his palm and a second later, it was gone. Where and how he hid it, she hadn't a clue as he didn't make any noticeable movements. But it was stored somewhere on his person where he considered safe and she trusted that he knew what he was doing.

Their caution wasn't unreasonable. They weren't on the platform alone, and often, on such crowded places as a train station, there was never a lack of pickpockets. Even the most innocent looking of persons could happen to be one of them. She didn't want to take the risk; George wore one of his typical business suits, simple but made out of a very good quality fabric and such details were usually spotted by those who knew what to look out for. And as a man walking alone, George could become a perfect target and she was glad that he was aware of this too.

As the first whistle sounded and announced the train's imminent departure, they all winced.

"We'd better go. Thank you again for everything." She added and to George's consternation, she stood on her toes and hugged him briefly. "I will miss you, George."

George was silent for a moment, looking as if he was at a loss of words but that didn't last long. "Thank you for saying, but I don't think you will have time to miss me…" he paused, "…Ma`am."

"George, what did I say about calling me 'Ma`am'…?" Candy frowned again and then she heard a chuckle coming from behind. She stared at both men. While Albert was laughing openly, George's face was more serious than ever and at the same time, so innocent in its expression that it could have belonged to a perfectly angelic child. But she knew better than that; perfectly angelic children only _looked _angelic. She understood. It didn't seem like a usual behavior for someone as reserved as George but right now, he _was_ teasing her. In his own, gentle way but teasing nonetheless. "Two against one, that's not fair!" she huffed, pretending to be offended. "Men… Always sticking together!"

She turned on her heel and quickly climbed the steps leading inside the train, chased by another of her husband's burst of laughter.

When she disappeared inside, Albert cleared his throat, still amused. "George…" he spoke, regaining his friend's attention. As George turned to him, he stretched his hand out to him and both men briefly shook hands. "Thank you again and be careful when you go to the car, okay?"

"Of course."

"Well, then, see you in a months time." Albert summed up. "Archie promised me to look after the business and Monty will keep an eye on him."

"Don't you need somebody who would keep an eye on both of them?" George asked innocently.

"Don't even think about it." Albert warned him, with smile. "This is not up to discussion. I've already told you that this will be time off for you too and I'm not going to change my mind! Why are you refusing so stubbornly to take the deserved holiday?"

For a moment, George looked like he was going to add something more but another sudden sound of a high pitched whistle pierced the air, cutting him off before he could even begin.

Albert didn't have any more time for discussion and quickly boarded the train. Just in time too, for only a few more seconds had passed by before he felt the tale-tell first jerk under his feet.

They had only a moment for waving their goodbyes before the entire platform was left behind them.

"So, Mr. Adventure Guy…" Candy turned to her husband with a tempting smile. Now that the stress of the possibility of missing the train has past, she was getting more and more excited again with each passing moment. "Would you finally tell me more details about where we are going?"

"Well, the train terminates in Los Angeles, that's all I know for sure. From there, we will catch the ferry."

"Yes, Mr. Obvious." Candy replied teasingly. "I was asking for _details_, you know?" And before Albert could even blink, she showered him with thousand of questions, "What cities will we travel through? Are there going to be many of them? How long will the ferry journey last? Are we stopping off for breaks? How long will all the travelling take? And how long are we staying in Los Angeles?"

"Whoa, whoa, Candy, take it easy!" Albert raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Not so much at once! I just can't follow you!"

Candy laughed at his dumbfounded face.

"Alright, let's start with Los Angeles… Yes, we will have almost half a day to spare so if you want, we can go sight seeing." Albert went on, focused again. "I will check where we can leave our luggage securely and then we can explore the city for a bit. That is of course if you will still have the strength to walk…" He added.

"Why wouldn't I be able to? Unless… unless the train ride will be so long that we will be both left exhausted…?" she asked, hoping to hear something positive.

"No, not by the journey itself..." Albert pinched her nose playfully and she wrinkled it at the tickling sensation. And in a lowered voice, he added "At least I hope not."

"Okay then… So, where are our seats?"

Albert didn't reply. Instead, he placed both his hands on her shoulders and motioned her to turn around. She followed his lead and from the main exit, they walked into the wooden decorated corridor. After passing by two shut doors, Albert stopped her by the third one, reached for the door handle and with no word of explanation, turned it and opened the door. And as the gap in the door slowly widened, Candy's eyes lit up with a twinge of excitement again.

"Wow!" she exclaimed with honest surprise.

"Did you really think I would let us get tired and spoil the beginning of our honeymoon?" Albert countered. "I thought you would have guessed that I booked a cabin…"

Instead of saying anything, Candy shrugged her shoulders and smiled brightly. And with a growing sense of curiosity, she entered and gave the interior the first look. The cabinwas cosy – it was a train after all and cabin space was limited by the train's width - but still, it was beautifully furnished. Polished fixtures and fittings shone brightly against the warm wood-panelled interior, the rich colour of the fabric on the bed's and chairs' covers and the impeccably clean, dark red carpet spoke loudly, that this, this was no ordinary commuter train.

Underneath the window on the opposite wall, there was a rather large table and this was where their luggage had been temporarily stowed away. She walked towards it and placed her purse and the roll of newspapers on top of the table. Then, with her hands free, she approached the sofa, which took up a major part of the cabin's space, and promptly sat on it.

"Now…" she sighed, elated, "This is what one can call comfortable traveling! I can travel like that for a day or more, no problem!"

"Glad to hear you say that," Albert closed the door behind them and walked to stand in front of her, swaying to and fro in motion with the train as it moved, "We're going to have to spend the next seventy hours or so in here."

"Seventy…?" Candy suddenly almost choked. "But…" she paused again and did a quick count in her mind, "But that's nearly three days! You said that the journey wouldn't take that long!"

Albert shook his head, still smiling. "I didn't say anything of the sort. I only said that we hopefully won't be exhausted by _the train ride_. And since we have rather comfortable accommodation, the length of the journey shouldn't be a very big problem."

Candy sighed and shook her head. "Oh well…" she said. "I guess I have to listen to you more carefully…"

"Definitely yes."

She jumped off the sofa and began further exploration of the interior. She once again looked around the cabin, this time noticing more details; the carvings in the wooden panels, the dainty rose-pink lampshade on the nightstand and another two attached to the wall, the delicate fabric of the net curtains – and finally, another narrow door set in the wall that seemed to be separate their cabin from the next one. The door was covered with the same panels as the rest of the wall and if it wasn't for the tiny handle discreetly hidden away in a small hole that was cut into one of the panels, it would have been very easy to miss it.

"Is that the door to the next cabin?" she inquired.

"Just see for yourself." Albert suggested.

And so, she opened it. But on the other side, there wasn't a mirrored interior of the twin cabin that she had expected to see. Instead, a view of a microscopic but fully equipped washroom greeted her eyes.

"A bathroom!" she shouted out joyously. This journey looked more and more promising with each new thing that she discovered! "How nice!"

"It's an intercity train after all." Albert explained.

She left any further exploration of the bathroom for later, when she will need it, and with the door closed.

It was at the moment when she started to turn back to face the cabin, when one more thing gained her attention. She had missed it earlier as it was attached to the wall near the main door. When they had entered earlier, the open door had covered the thing completely. Only now, with the door closed, could she see it properly.

"A ladder, here?" she looked curiously at Albert.

Again, instead of replying, he walked towards the bed and reached his hand out to the wall. She didn't understand until he grabbed a thick red rope on the wall that she took for a decoration of unknown to her character. He pulled – rather strongly but steadily – and to her surprise, the panels above the bed split, showing a quickly widening gap. A moment later she understood – it was another bed, smartly hidden away in the wall just like the bathroom door.

"A bunk bed!" Candy couldn't help but clap her hands in excitement. In front of another person she would have been ashamed to behave almost so childishly but with Albert, it was different. He was different and he understood her hunger for exploring the world around her for all it was worth. And he also knew she had a weakness for bunk beds.

Albert looked at his elated wife and smiled. "So, does the ladder make sense now?"

"Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "I sleep on the top one!"

Her joy was contagious and he was getting excited along with her. However, as soon as she had said the last words, his smile changed its character.

"No, you don't." he said warmly and took the two steps that separated him from her. His arms softly wrapped themselves around her waist and he lowered his head, resting his forehead on hers. "The bottom one is much more comfortable. If you unfold the sofa, it opens up into a double bed…"

"Then you keep it," She offered him in a teasing tone, "and I will sleep on top."

"No, you don't." Albert cuddled his wife closer and his lips began to wander around her ear. With great pleasure, he noticed that she trembled due to his actions. Because of the late wake up and later the mad rush to get to the station on time, he had been repressing the longing of his body for the whole, long morning and it was now, that he didn't see any reason or any need to restrain himself any more. "You sleep with me, my sweet and that's not up for discussion. And you know…" he murmured tentatively into her ear, "I said that _the journey_ won't exhaust us but I'm sure that there are other ways to achieve that… How about if we start finding out, right here right now, which would be the most tiring?""

He could never explain later how it had happened; one moment, she was standing in his embrace, trembling slightly by his touch and the next, she had stood behind him, giggling quietly. He turned to face her; a playful smile adorned her lips and before he could blink, she turned around and dashed across the cabin.

It took him a full second to understand what she was going to do and one more to react. "Oh no, you don't!" he shouted, running after her. He didn't make it; she climbed the ladder nimbly like a squirrel and he missed her leg by mere inches. "Get down here at once, you rascal!"

The rustling of the covers came to his ears, followed by her merry laughter. "I told you…" she countered him innocently, "I sleep up here."

"If you think I'm done with you after just one night, you are wrong. Get down here, I said!" he demanded, laughter altering the sound of his words.

"You wish!" Candy crawled to the back and pressed herself up against the wooden wall. "I'm good here!"

"We'll see about that, you are leaving me no other choice! I'm stepping up!" He warned her, putting his foot on the ladder's first rung.

As he proceeded to climb, there was a knock at the door. "Excuse me? Is anyone in there?" A voice from the outside asked loudly but politely. "May I see your tickets, please?"

Albert sighed. He had completely forgotten about that! When they both entered the train with George, they did it in such a hurry that they had failed to announce themselves to the steward, no wonder then that he was now checking the booked cabin.

Albert let go of the ladder but there was no annoyance in his movements. Moreover; he was smiling cheerfully to himself. Although they had been interrupted, there was plenty of time for him to get what he wanted. Three days, to be precise, and he doubted if he needed this much time. But then, there was this certain fantasy that had just occurred to him…

"Well then sweetheart, consider yourself lucky…" He said with fake resignation in his voice. He walked to the door but just before he opened it, he turned again and added from over his shoulder, this time, promisingly, "…for about five minutes."

THE END... (?)

©GosieKin 2011

(46) ICR – Inter City Rail


	31. THE ART OF READING

**Hi everyone, I'm back! It's been awfully long, I admit. I had to take that break; there were many things in real life that needed my attention. Thank you for waiting.**

**So, where were we? Ah, yes, our love birds are married. Phew, finally. But, is it really it? Or… is it just the beginning of the **_**real**_** story?**

**And what about others? Annie and Archie had just had a son, Tom seemed to meet the girl of his dreams and Patty is finally rebuilding her a little messed up emotional life and enjoying the world again… What is going to happen to them?**

**Let's find out. Let me take into the world that was born in my head almost three years ago…**

**.**

**.**

**CROSSROADS part III**

**.**

**CHAPTER (THIRTY) ONE: THE ART OF READING**

Chicago, 24th August

"We had achieved our rights three years ago but men still want to rule the world and dictate how we should live our lives. We say to those pigs: 'no more!'"

"No more!" the rest of the women at the gathering all yelled angrily, their faces ugly distorted, almost viciously.

Nobody had noticed that one of their participants that stood in the back row had stepped back. The young woman was making her way out through the excited crowd, slowly, softly, as if she was accustomed to melting into the background. She was so good at it that not one person paid any attention to her retreat. Not that anyone had really noticed her _presence_ in the first place…

Curiosity hadn't let Patty miss the extreme suffragettes' meeting, but now, she was firmly set on leaving despite the meeting being barely being half way through. Almost right from the start, she had felt uncomfortable about being here. It might have had something to do with the fact that the meeting was called illegally. It was only an unpleasant feeling at first and she had dismissed it, convincing herself that it wasn't the first illegal meeting that she had attended. After all, a few years ago, before The Women's League finally won the battle for their rights to vote *47*, she had participated in many and she could say that she had gotten used to that feeling.

But as the meeting went on, her inner gut feeling changed into an annoying screeching at the back of her mind and it wasn't about feeling uncomfortable anymore; it was also due to the things that she had heard here today. She simply disagreed with these women's vision. She was a fighter too, but this… Calling men 'pigs'… no, _this _wasn't her fight. She wanted a fair one, without insulting anybody.

Getting though the crowd took her a good few moments but once she got pass, getting to the door and going outside only took a matter of seconds. The steel door screeched quietly behind her as she closed it gently. Hearing the rather loud cheering that came from inside, she doubted that anybody had even paid attention to the noise. It's not like she had to sneak out though. Nobody would have said a word if she simply left but it was just in her nature to avoid creating any fuss, if possible. The more important thing was to step back out onto the main street unnoticed.

The meeting was being held in an old dilapidated building, a disused warehouse actually, with the main doors locked a long time ago. Heavy chains and a huge rusty lock hung on the doors like a huge metal ornament. The only way to get in and out of the building was through the delivery door which was situated in a dead end alley, behind the building. To get there, one had to turn right and onto a thoroughfare which connected the two main roads that sandwiched the warehouse. Halfway was the alley, closed off by a fifteen foot tall wire fence with a gate in it, this was where the only exit was. And this was where she was now running towards.

Before arriving at the meeting, everybody had been advised to keep the utmost discretion whilst entering and exiting the premises. She couldn't just step out onto the passageway just like that. She first had to make sure that no one was there, watching.

When she had first entered the alley of the abandoned property, just after opening the gate, she remembered passing by a stack of weather beaten, wooden crates that someone had either forgotten to remove or had just simply left behind, and she kept that in mind as a good hiding spot from where she could safely watch the area before stepping out onto it. This was where she stopped now, panting slightly after the run from the door but with her eyes already carefully scanning the place. There weren't many people who walked these parts at this time of day but the passageway definitely couldn't be called deserted. It was still afternoon and these few folks who now were walking to wherever they were walking to, used the boulevard as a shortcut between the two main roads. They moved in both directions as Patty eagerly waited for the right moment when they would pass by the gate, after that, they would all be all facing away from her. That's when she would make her move.

The building she had just left was abandoned and ugly, yet it was not far from the main road. She was still surprised by how such contrasting areas of Chicago could coexist right next door to each other. Once one turned from the fashionable street and into the many little alleyways that encompassed the city, one could find oneself within a minutes walking distance in a completely different world, deserted and eerie, far from the glamour of the street in front. The front of the building meant safety and all she had to do to get there was to wait for the right moment to come out onto the shadow cloaked passageway and cover those three hundred yards that separated her from the main street.

The moment finally came and in two steps, Patty was at the gate. As she held its metal frame, her fingers touched something slick and greasy and she instinctively pulled her hand back. _Grease, _she sighed to herself. _Just wonderful. _Ignoring the distracting stickiness for now, she grabbed the gate again and with her eyes still looking left and right, she quickly slipped through, closing the gate behind her in the process. Because it seemed that no one had noticed her sudden appearance on the thoroughfare, she simply turned left and began walking, instinctively adjusting the pace of her steps to those who walked ahead of her.

As she walked, the stickiness on her fingers began bothering her more and more, to the point that she just couldn't stand it any longer. One of the things she didn't like was having her hands dirty and because that particular afternoon was particularly hot, the grease had melted quickly on her heated skin. Without stopping, she pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and began wiping the stain. It helped only partially; most of the grease was removed and her skin looked clean but some of the sticky feel of the residue had remained. Oh well, she thought – she would simply have to wait until she could wash it off with some hot water.

O O O

The man on the corner lit up a cigarette and inhaled a deep lungful of smoke. He had been standing in the same spot next to the passageway for awhile now, waiting, just waiting.

He was waiting for someone or something, or even, perhaps, both.

Either way, he waited.

At some point, he lifted up his sleeve and looked at his wristwatch for the umpteenth time.

He then waited some more… Until…

There, it was time for him to move.

He flicked his half finished cigarette down onto the ground and stepped on it as he walked away, stubbing it out and leaving behind a pile of dog ends on the floor next to where he once stood.

It was time to get his dues...

O O O

She couldn't have known that she was being followed. She had been watched since the very moment that she left the building and now, the silent observer was trailing her every step, for now, keeping significant distance between them.

And she walked on totally unaware of this, with a few busy seconds with folding the used handkerchief and putting it back into her purse. There were only fifty yards remaining before she got to the main street, then twenty, then ten… But before she got to the junction, the sudden sound of police sirens started wailing loudly all around her and its unexpectedness rooted her to the floor. The entire area was immediately cordoned off and policemen were seen running towards the building that she had just came out from only mere minutes ago. Her heart missed a beat. Instinctively, she stepped backwards, hiding partially behind a rusty gate, unable to do more than just stand there, helplessly watching the men of the law crash through the gate in the fence and hot foot it down the narrow alleyway. Its angle hid them from her sight and only in her mind's eye, could she see them open the steel delivery door. _All those women inside..._ _Oh, God, s_he thought with heart clenching sympathy and regret, knowing thatthere was nothing she could do for them. She had no chances of warning them no matter how much she wanted to. She didn't know them at all but still…

Deep inside her, she was crying but her instinct were screaming at her to do everything to keep her face emotionless. She forced herself to look casual, as if she was just a bystander.

The first wave of the raid had rushed by her and - which was a very good sign indeed - nobody had noticed her standing there. She smiled just a little. She was still very good at becoming invisible and this was without even trying very hard… But at least in this case, it seemed, it was a blessing.

More sure of herself now, she made her way towards the row of parked police cars, trying to look just like any other casual pedestrian vaguely interested in what was going on behind her. All she knew she had to do was pass the line of yelling policemen, slip between the cars, stand there idly for one more second to make sure that no one took any interest in her person and finally, walk away slowly as running would most certainly raise suspicions. It looked like everything was going to run smoothly.

Little did she know that the moment she had begun walking, the person who was following her had began walking faster, closing the distance between them at an alarmingly rate of speed.

As she passed the last of the cars and reached the corner of the building, she looked around, sure that all had gone according to plan, breathed a sigh of relief. But as she began walking along the main street, somebody harshly grabbed her arm and she knew that the little sigh of relief she had allowed herself a moment ago, was premature.

"Officer, over here!"

The shock of hearing _this_ voice _here_ was devastating.

Before she even turned, she knew who it was_._ Oh, she knew that annoying voice all too well… And here he was, in her life again, cheeky and slimy Maxi Rippendale*48*, pitiful and yet, dangerous in his conceited arrogance. His name could only mean trouble.

"Maxi Rippendale! Would you be so kind as to let go of my arm?" she asked coldly. "You're hurting me!"

"Oh, don't you try that one on me…" Maxi hissed in her face. If it wasn't for his languid eyes, she could actually consider his face as quite handsome. But his eyes shone with some perverse joy and she didn't like it at all. "You won't get away with it!"

"What are you talking about? Get your hands off me!" she stepped back and tried to free her arm but he only tightened his grip and once again, called out for any officers that were around.

And he finally got what he was after. An entire group of uniformed men stood in line in front of their cars but there was one young policeman standing alone as back-up. And he was the one who noticed Maxi's calls. As he walked towards them, his forehead frowned. "What is going on?"

"I know about the illegal meeting in this area. I saw this woman coming out of the building that you are searching now. She must be one of them. Arrest her." Maxi commanded, not even trying to hide the triumph in his voice.

And she understood... he really did see her there and he was using this against her. She even knew why would do such thing… Since she had met him on Candy's birthday two years ago, he had turned her life into a living hell. All those countless propositions of dating him that she had rejected, politely at first but as he got more and more blatant, as he grew ever impatient, her own surprising calmness held as she had coldly rejected his first open proposal. She was unable to completely hide her disgust when he had proposed for a second time and that's when all the insults and threats began … His rude and violent reaction had both angered and scared her, with the accent heavily being on 'scared'. And it actually scared her enough to run away for a while. He was one of the main reasons that she had decided to move to New York for some time and then spend winter in Florida… She had so hoped that by removing herself from his sight, she would also disappear from the list of his interests but apparently, he still wanted revenge…

_What a jerk!_ She thought angrily to herself as all their past, upsetting encounters flashed through her mind as one. _What a pitiful Asshole with a capital 'A', who can't take 'no' for an answer…No, bollocks, you won't get me, Mr. Asshole!_

She felt the growing panic and the urge to run but something else within her forced her to fight it off. Running would be like admitting her guilt and with the shoes that she wore today, she stood no chance of getting away anyway; they would have caught her in no time. Instead, she held her head high, trying to recall how to put on an aura of dignity and nobility that she had been trained to do since ever since she was a little girl, which incidentally, she hasn't ever used.

"Officer, I have no idea what this man is talking about." she replied calmly. "Please let me go; I'm already late."

She looked with expectation at the policeman but he didn't look too convinced. He glanced at Maxi and back at her and then again at Maxi, who huffed away, arrogantly. "Well, I'm gonna have to arrest you." He said hesitantly. "You will be taken to the police station for further questioning."

Patty couldn't believe her ears. It was actually happening. Did the time come for her to pay for what she was engaging in? _No, bollocks!_ She cursed again in her had to do something, and quickly as her situation disintegrated and was now getting out of hand. And she couldn't afford to have any type of police record; that would incredibly complicate her future plans.

"You can't possibly be serious!" she said, trying to maintain her voice in a distinguished tone. It wasn't easy with the fear that was now gripping her body. "You don't actually believe this crazy man, do you? He is the one harassing me for no reason at all!"

"We have received clear orders; anybody in this area, who has even slight suspicion on them, must be taken in."

The rookie who hesitated only moments ago, was now, for some reason, unswerving. He had already pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his belt and was now reaching out to grab her wrist. "And you _do_ look suspicious. I'm placing you under arre—"

"May I know what is going on here?"

A new but very commanding voice came from behind them, cutting sharply into the policeman's words, who then promptly went silent. Everybody turned simultaneously and Patty couldn't help but gasp quietly in surprise. A tall, black-haired man dressed impeccably in a full office suit, approached them with an air of natural dignity and after glancing briefly at her and Maxi, bore his dark eyes into the young policeman's face. "Officer, would you please explain to me what is going on here?" he repeated in a calm, almost icy cold voice.

The enquired one hesitated for a few seconds, and finally, decided to reply. "She is suspected of participation in an illegal meeting on this very street," he informed the man.

"On what basis of evidence?" came another demanding question.

"This man here states that he saw her coming out of the place we are searching right now."

"I believe there's been some mistake." the black-haired man stated simply.

"There's no mistake!" Maxi cut in on the conversation, insistently and with an ugly, smug smile, clearly sure of his victory. "I saw her coming out!"

"I believe there _has_ been a mistake, _officer_." The man repeated the same words without even looking at Maxi. "These suspicions are utterly groundless. It's impossible for this young lady to participate in any recent meetings that she has been accused of. She has been in my presence for the last two hours."

"That's not true!" Maxi protested, his voice now much louder. His smile quickly faded and he was now visibly irritated that he was being left to one side. He didn't like being ignored, that thing was clear, his face almost physically screaming out the built up frustration after he tried and failed to regain the policeman's attention. "He is lying! This bastard is lying!"

"Officer, I do not know who this _gentleman _is_,_"the man accentuated the word meaningfully,_ "_but I do know this young lady. And I would like you to explain to me," the man's voice remained calm; however some steely notes now resounded in it, "You dare arrest a woman who comes from a wealthy, influential family and is a very close friend of _the_ Andrews family?"

"Wealthy and influential?" Surprised by this news, the officer, who had been towering dangerously above Patty, backed away slightly.

"She is."

"So what? What difference does that make? I am too! And who the hell are you?" Maxi screamed, unable to control his annoyance any longer. He began to realize that the chances of his seemingly foregone victory were not only somehow rapidly diminishing; they were actually already nearly gone. How was it possible, he just couldn't understand. One moment, he was in the dominant and leading position and in the very next, his person was being simply dismissed, as if he wasn't even present! No one even bothered to listen to him anymore; everyone's attention was centered on this accursed newcomer! "How dare you interfere, you liar!" he argued heatedly, nearly physically feeling how he was beginning to instinctively hate this cold, poised man and his overwhelming presence. He hated being ignored more than anything. Ignore him, Maximilian Rippendale?

And it was perhaps because of this shift of his emotions that had made him lose his primary focus, without him even noticing. He didn't realize that he had loosened the grip of his hand until it was too late. Patty, so far standing calmly and seemingly scared, like the perfect prey he had hoped she would be, suddenly and strongly yanked her arm, releasing it from his grasp and before he had time to somehow react, she was already standing by this man's side, beyond his reach.

The young policeman eyed the pair, noticing that the young woman seemed definitely familiar with the mysterious gentleman. He had proof that the man hadn't lied when he said he knew her but he still had to ask a few questions to clear up the situation. "I'm afraid I have to ask you as well. Who are you, sir and how can you explain this young lady's whereabouts?" he inquired in a polite tone, much to his own surprise. In his job he was trained to be decisive and sharp, even brutal if necessary but there was just something unexplainable about this dark-haired man that was making him behave more politely than he would normally as a policeman.

And this dark gaze of his… It was nearly hypnotic.

"My name is George Johnson and I am Sir William Albert Andrew's lawyer. I believe there is no need to explain who Sir William is to such an experienced officer such as yourself?" the man finally introduced himself, his voice as clear as crystal. "This young lady is under my care as we were on our way to the family mansion. We stopped off only to visit one of the shops and I left her here merely for a few minutes as I needed to park the car properly."

The policeman hesitated, torn between his duty and the involuntary profound respect he garnered for the man. "I see…" he said slowly, trying to gain a few extra seconds to gather his thoughts before making the final decision.

But apparently, he wasn't given the chance to decide anything. Everything, it would seem, had already been decided. "I believe that all is clear now." The man stated calmly and turned his head away from him, now facing the young woman. And it was her whom he now addressed, "We need to get going, my dear. They are probably already waiting for us at the mansion."

"Yes, I believe so." The young woman replied shortly.

It looked as if that was the end of that but it wasn't to be. "Just what the hell do you think you are doing?" the young man blurted out, nearly spitting in rage. "You think I'm just going to let you go? You are a liar and a nobody and you can't take her away from me just like that! Now, listen to me," he rapidly turned towards the officer, "I _demand you_ to arrest him, he is lying to protect her and she has to be arrested too, she is just a little feminist whore who…"

The policeman was so taken aback by the younger man's outburst that he almost missed the older man's reaction to it. As did the woman. The man stopped and turned towards his left, facing away from the young woman, this time fully facing his rude opponent, eye to eye, for the first time since he had appeared at the scene. That was all and yet, it seemed it was enough, as the younger man's feverish yelling faded into nothingness in the middle of his rant.

"I've been trying to be patient with your disgraceful behavior as I believe that it's caused by your _very_ young age," the older of the men drawled slowly, "but one more word and I will have _you _arrested for insulting and threatening an innocent young woman being under my care. I might even _personally_ make sure that you _suffer_ _more_ than just being arrested. Understood?"

There were no gestures made, not even the slightest one and that's why the policeman was surprised to see the younger of the men, silently and submissively stepping down. All his weird rage had suddenly vanished.

There were no gestures. But what he couldn't know was that there was something else other than just words that had the younger man fall completely silent. He just simply couldn't see the eyes of the older of the men and the way he looked down at the younger one.

And it was a look that made Maxi close his mouth and then gulp, literally swallowing the words he was about to say. There was something new about this man, towering above him, something that wasn't there before and which made his guts almost turn inside out. The man's voice was still icy cold, just like from the moment he had joined them but his eyes… No, Maxi instinctively knew that he was no match for this tall man with the dark, burning gaze, even if, as he claimed, he was only some lawyer. And that darkness of his gaze had nothing to do with the color of the man's eyes. It was a silent but a very serious warning from a man who firmly stands his ground and Maxi knew better than to challenge him. This little O'Brien was not worth risking his health over.

But even though he remained silent, the anger within him didn't. His instant dislike for the man didn't cease to exist. To the contrary; it grew rapidly stronger and stronger, now to the point where he stood in front of this stranger, hating him with every trembling fibre of his body. Being forced into submission, especially in front of another man had hurt his pride deeply and he wasn't one to forgive and forget such humiliation. _You perhaps have won this time… but I will make sure you will pay me for this, _he swore to himself. _You don't know what it means to insult Maximilian Rippendale!_

This all took such a short amount of time that before the young policeman could do anything, the older of the men had already turned away from the younger one, dismissing him completely, as if he wasn't even worthy of his attention anymore and searched out for the woman's gaze. "Let's go, shall we?" he suggested and offered her his arm in a protective gesture. Then he inclined his head gracefully, bidding his goodbye, "I am extremely grateful for your understanding; the police should be proud to have such an intelligent officer. Have a good day, Sir." - and the pair walked away.

The policeman, nicely flattered, now faced the young man, feeling slightly annoyed with him for creating this entire mess and wasting his time. He was convinced now that this older man could have gotten him into trouble with his supervisors for arresting a completely innocent person. It would have certainly happened if it wasn't for the gentleman's understanding.

"Now move along young man, there's nothing else here for you to see." He said patronizingly. The young man looked like his contemporary but wearing a uniform made him feel more self important than the rest of the regular citizens, no matter their rank. And this lad here, despite his claims, didn't seem to be in position of any real power, unlike the gentleman who had just left. "This time I won't take further action against you for what you've done."

"Come again? Against _me_?" the young man looked surprised and enraged again, in fact, so much that he nearly choked from anger. "How dare you! That woman was the one who…"

"Now, now, Mister, don't try my patience!" the officer creased his eyebrows, displeased with the total lack of respect that this young man displayed towards him. "Move along or I will really have to arrest you for causing trouble. And next time, better check before you accuse innocent people!"

Ignoring the mumbling of protest, he turned away and once again spared a glance in the direction of where the pair had walked away. But he could see them no more and shrugging his shoulders, he returned to his duties of guarding the police cars. Soon, he would forget about the entire thing.

O O O

Meanwhile Patty, still shocked by what had just happened, walked beside George, doing her best to play along with the game he had started. It was a good thing for her that he had offered her his arm, for without this little support, she was sure that her legs would have had given way already.

They had walked away, merely a few meters when George had instructed her quietly not to turn around. Both her body and mind were still numb from the fear but she got his point; if she looked back, the gesture might have raised suspicions again and they couldn't afford to make any wrong moves, not now. And so to keep up appearances for the cop behind them, she held her head high, looking right ahead… without really seeing anything she was looking at. It all felt more like moving along a blurry tunnel rather than walking the street she knew.

Luckily for her, the car wasn't parked far away. Not knowing if the policeman was still watching them or not, she kept playing her part until they had finally got there, and with acted calmness, she slipped onto the passenger's seat. Only when they had driven off and everything got smaller and smaller behind them, she breathed out with relief. But with relief also came total numbness and she became almost blind to everything around her. She didn't notice when they had left the city centre behind them and went into a more open area. They drove for some time, she couldn't tell for how long and it wasn't until the car stopped again, did she finally snap out partially from this weird numbness. She got out off the car and let George lead her, only absent-mindedly noticing that there were some people passing by them, laughing and that a lot of greenery was all around them. But where they were exactly, she had no idea. And it was only when George held her arm and mentioning to her to stop, she finally looked around more consciously. They stood underneath one of many, weeping willows. A huge pond spread out in front of them with rows of benches on both sides to the left and right. Across the pond, from above the treeline, the tallest buildings of the city centre could be seen in the distance. But it was only when she looked at the red bricked building on her left and after a moment, recognized it as 'Café Brauer' *49*, she realized where he had taken her.

They were at South Pond in Lincoln Park *50*.

It was a good thing they had stood under the tree. Patty reached out her hand and pressed it against the trunk, subconsciously seeking support from something standing very firmly on the ground. And it was the touch of the scabrous bark that finally brought her fully back to reality. The numbness had gone; instead, her mind was sharply aware of the seriousness of the situation which had transpired back in the city centre awhile ago. It was as if being far away from this absurd scene on the street had somehow liberated her, and it did – but at the same time, it gripped her body with shock again. She gasped and her body trembled and shook violently.

And, like a repeat déjà vu, she felt a gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything is alright now, Miss O'Brien."

"I know… I'm fine… I'm fine… I'm fine… I'm fine…" she kept whispering frantically, ramming her nails into the bark until she felt pain in her fingertips, "And I'm not crying… I'm not crying…"

"It's okay to cry if you feel like it."

"No, it's not!" she nearly screamed. And then, something weird happened to her. She was still trembling but it wasn't only from fear anymore. She also felt a tremendous anger building up within her and this sensation was a lot more stronger than her fear. Anger so strong that she could no longer suppress it. And she wasn't even going to try. "He doesn't even deserve one of my tears!"

"He?" George asked.

"That man on the street…" she hissed sharply, "That little viper, that slimy piece of crap! I think he's gone flipping bonkers!"

The unlady like curses she had learnt from her cousin Marge made her feel almost better. But only 'almost' and only for a splitting moment. Because next, she turned to George and seeing the look across his face, she understood what she just did. She gasped and immediately slapped her hand over her mouth, ashamed. Cursing in her mind only was one thing, one of her little secrets, but actually speaking it aloud…

However, her anger was greater than her shame and a few, short seconds later, her palm twisted and formed into a fist. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Johnson," she apologized quietly, "I seem to be having trouble with controlling my language when it comes to this… this… I will never forgive myself for using such language in front of you... I shouldn't even know such words..."

"It's alright, Miss O'Brien." George interrupted her calmly and she saw his shocked look disappearing. "Would you mind telling me what happened back there?"

"You saw it. He wanted to get me into trouble and he nearly managed it."

"I figured that part. What I would like to know is _why _Rippendale is bothering you."

"You know his name?" Patty couldn't help but open her eyes wide in surprise. "But you… you told that policeman that you didn't know him…!"

"The police don't have to always know everything." George explained, shrugging. This news nearly caused her eyes to nearly pop out in shock. She had so far thought of him to be a rightful citizen and she would have never suspected that he could be so openly indifferent about breaking the law. "But since you are wondering, yes, of course I know Rippendale. As I have said once, my job is to watch and to know. But what is right now much more important than my knowledge of him is that _you_ seem to know him rather well, Miss O'Brien. Your anger wasn't caused by just what transpired today, was it? It isn't the first time you two have met, am I correct?"

Patty took a deep breath. "Yes, you are; I know him well, even though I never asked for this in the first place…"

"Shall we sit, Miss O'Brien?" George inclined his head slightly, inviting her towards the benches. Most of them were already occupied but the one that was the nearest to them still remained empty. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear this. Perhaps I will be able to help you."

Instinctively, she averted her eyes and then lowered her gaze, for a moment, uncertain what to do. This entire thing with Maxi was, after all, something she had never shared with anyone, even with her best friends. She simply didn't want to trouble anyone with it. Also, speaking aloud about it would have equated to admitting having a problem and Maxi was a problem she hadn't wanted to acknowledge.

But this was Patty from a few months ago, Patty who preferred to hide from problems rather than finding a solution to them and this was before Maxi had gone too far. It was clear to her now that she couldn't go on hoping that if she ignored the problem, it would be as if it never existed. It was time for her to start doing something about this. She had to talk to somebody about it, and it felt odd, but George seemed to be just the right person. Weird, considering that they had sort of befriended each other only months ago. But it didn't matter that their friendship wasn't a typical one. What was convincing her most that she was making the right choice was this aura of certainty and calmness he has always had about him. Peace, security and a very discreet person who knew how to listen was exactly what she needed right now. Besides, he was now personally involved in the case and if anyone deserved to hear the full story from her, it was him.

With the decision made, she looked at her companion again.

"I hope my hesitation didn't offend you, Mr. Johnson," she said apologetically. "I've simply never talked to anyone about this. I wouldn't like to trouble you too with my personal affairs, but if you really wish, I will tell you."

George only nodded with all seriousness and together, they walked towards the seat that he had suggested.

For another moment, she sat there in silence, picking up her thoughts and then began telling her story. "I met Maxi two years ago, at Candy's twenty first birthday party and since then, this…" she paused, biting her top lip in order to stop herself from saying another inappropriate word and quickly corrected herself, "since then it has been his goal to make my life miserable. He belongs with those men who cannot accept 'no' for an answer, no matter if it's regarding a chat, a date or a proposal. I had politely rejected all his offers hundreds of times, even plain refusal which he didn't even bother acknowledging. I told him a few honest words when he proposed for the second time. And I must have offended him because he threatened me. Back then, I didn't take it seriously but now I do. I believe he still wants his revenge."

"I was right then… A little man with a big shadow…" George murmured under his breath to himself, as matter of fact, so quietly that she nearly missed it.

"I beg your pardon?"

"There are some people who would love to have the entire world revolve around them, Miss O'Brien. It can be very annoying but if the person is rather good at heart, such behaviour is usually relatively harmless. It's much worse if such a self-centered type has also a vindictive character; he might even take something as merely ignoring his person as a very serious offence. And once offended, he can become blind to everything but his unreasonable revenge. That's why I always think of those people as 'small people' that cast long shadows over others." George explained in a thoughtful tone, continuing to gaze at the pond before them. He then shook his head minutely, as if snapping out of his musing and back to reality. "Never mind, it's just a phrase…"

"Maybe it's just a phrase but it happens to suit him perfectly." Much to her own surprise, Patty felt that her anger had began to decrease as she listened. Once again, George had managed to spike her interest with one of his strikingly accurate observations. "I must say that you are indeed very good at quick judgments of people's personalities, Mr. Johnson."

"It doesn't matter, Miss O'Brien." George replied humbly. "It's just a part of my job."

"Yeah, you keep saying that. It still doesn't change the fact that you are good at observing whenever and wherever you are, not necessarily just in business either…" she commented and then, all of a sudden, trailed off, hit by a new thought. The question began forming in her mind, a question to a certain matter that should have alerted her already. She had so far been too overwhelmed by the fear and then anger to ask about it before. "Speaking of which, Mr. Johnson…" she continued slowly, "I had my reasons to be on that street. And what I dying to know is, what were_ you_ doing there?"

George turned towards her and gave her one of those intense looks of his which she actually had begun to get used to. "Just by coincidence really, I happened to be coming out from one of the shops when the entire fuss with the police started," he said after a short moment of silence. "I couldn't resist the sensational event and so I came closer to take a better look."

Now, why her mind started to question such a version of the events so quickly, she couldn't tell. But what she could definitely tell was that something didn't feel right in his seemingly simple and satisfying explanation. It felt too straightforward, too detailed coming from a man who usually spoke cryptically, in riddles or gave evasive answers. And also…

"Mr. Johnson," she spoke the man's name slowly, getting very serious, "while you indeed seem to know everything before others do, I refuse to believe that you went there out of pure curiosity. You don't seem to be the type of person who enjoys gossiping and fuss."

George's gaze changed from penetrating to impermeable. "You think you know me so well already, Miss O'Brien?" he asked in an almost indifferent and yet somehow, tensed voice. Within a second, she changed her mind about being absolutely familiar with his intriguing personality. Maybe she was used to his intense looks but apparently, he still was very much capable of intimidating her in other way. And most probably there were many, many others.

But this time, she managed to restrain herself from averting her eyes or playing with the folds of her skirt like she would have done only months ago. Neither was she going to go apologizing for being too bold. She held his long, seemingly emotionless gaze bravely, without even blinking much from behind her glasses. "Am I wrong then?" she risked a gamble.

George kept looking at her in this strange way for another moment or so and then slowly turned his head away, bored his eyes into the pond's surface instead. "Just by coincidence, I happened to be coming out from one of the shops when the entire fuss with the police started." He repeated verbatim, his last sentence again. It would have seemed that he was iterating the same story all over again except that his next words confirmed her initial conjecture, "I saw the scene you were involved in and I couldn't just walk away."

Once again he made a noticeable pause and finished, "Does _this_ answer satisfy you, Miss O'Brien?"

His voice sounded normal, without any audible tension in it and Patty relaxed, at the same time thinking that she was wrong to believe that she knew his character well enough. She didn't. Apparently, there really_ was_ more to George than she had ever thought. He wasn't exactly only all rightful, humble and a very reserved gentleman like she thought him to be, he was more. She just had a glimpse of something that suggested his calmness was only an outer shell for his real personality, just like she had a while ago on the street, when he first joined them and dealt so coldly with Maxi. And apparently, it seemed like this personality was much darker than he ever wanted to let out. She still remembered the brief chill his voice had given her when he had first spoken to them.

But what was totally, totally odd, instead of frightening her, this memory alone had triggered her curiosity even more.

"Yes, it does." She replied with a great deal of satisfaction in her voice. And she was satisfied; after all, even if he didn't admit to it aloud, with his reply, he had confirmed her theory about his motives. "That's much more like you. That's the sort of thing I think that you would be more likely to do. And thank you," she added quieter. "Thank you for being so concerned about me."

George kept looking ahead but she had no problem with hearing what he said, "No need to thank me, Miss O'Brien. I only did what I thought was right."

"To the contrary, Mr. Johnson; I _do_ have a reason to thank you. And when I say 'thank you', I really mean it." Patty said firmly, feeling that this was yet another time for an honest confession. Once again, she owed him that. "If it wasn't for you, they would have arrested me and there was a chance that if they checked really carefully, they would have found out that Rippendale was right."

"Right about…?

"About my _whereabouts_." Patty accentuated the word, remembering how the policeman had used it earlier. "Maxi is arrogant and thick-headed but not stupid. And he values his own person way too much to risk it by giving the police false information."

George finally stopped staring at the hypnotically shimmering surface of the pond and glanced back at her. His gaze was calm. "So you _were_ in the building, Miss O'Brien? The one that they were searching?" he more stated than questioned.

"I was there, yes," she admitted, nodding. She wasn't even surprised that he had guessed so quickly; she had already learnt that he was very perceptive and that he didn't need many clues to make the right conclusion. "Only as a spectator, but I was there. I left the meeting half way through though."

One of his black eyebrows shot higher up slightly at her last statement and Patty knew that she had instigated George's interest. He was now waiting on her for further explanations.

"It was an illegal meeting organized by the suffragettes, Mr. Johnson." she confessed quietly. "And I am a feminist too but I didn't agree with those women's aggressive approach to our supposedly common cause. That's why I left the meeting, luckily for me, shortly before the police raid."

She quickly described the event and how careful she was whilst leaving the building. "I think it's just by my bad luck that coincidence had brought Maxi into this same area today." She concluded. "He must have noticed me coming out and quickly decided that that was the perfect leverage he could use against me."

"Are you sure, Miss O'Brien," George asked when she had finished, "Are you sure that his presence there was coincidental?

"You mean…" she couldn't believe what he was suggesting, "…that he was spying on me earlier?"

George shrugged lightly but his face remained serious and focused. "Impossible?"

"It didn't even occur to me, to be honest…" Patty shrugged helplessly. "I can't remember now what he had said exactly... We argued at first… then… he called the policeman and told him he saw me and then I was trying to act like I knew nothing about it and… Oh no!" she gasped, suddenly remembering what she'd missed previously, "Before that, he did mention something about knowing about the meeting and the ongoing search… Oh God!" she gasped again. "Is it possible that _he _was the one who called the police? Just to get his silly revenge on me?"

"I wouldn't call anything about Rippendale 'silly', Miss O'Brien, but it looks like this man can be dangerous."

But Patty wasn't listening any longer, flooded by the returning wave of guilt. "Oh my God, no, no, no…!" she kept repeating with despair, "all those women… because of me… How could he, how could he…? So many people, just to get to me… How am I going to…?"

She trailed off, unable to speak anymore and bowed her head, hiding her face in her palms. She didn't cry but the sudden sorrow almost stole her breath, making taking each one more difficult and shallow. She had no idea how she was going to cope with knowing that _she_ was the cause of the unfolded drama that had involved so many…

Once again, she felt a hand softly resting on her shoulder. "Miss O'Brien, look at me please…" she heard George's voice pleading quietly. And when she ignored his request, he repeated, this time more pressingly, "Miss O'Brien, look at me!"

She couldn't ignorethe rather strong pull at her arm and submissively, she straightened up and lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"Now, please listen to me _carefully_," George continued. His voice was low and almost soft but weirdly suggestive and she couldn't help but listen in silence. "You can't know for sure if he was involved in informing the police. It was just my speculation and now I regret that I even mentioned such thing in the first place. We will probably never find out and you can't bother yourself so much with something you have no power over. But even if he was behind all this, you absolutely shouldn't be taking the guilt upon yourself! If it was his scheme, some people were in trouble indeed, but _he_ is the one to blame, not you, Miss O'Brien! I forbid you from taking the outcome of others' actions upon yourself, do you hear me?"

"But if only I…"

"Not another word on this matter, Miss O'Brien!" George cut her off firmly. "You are to take responsibility for your actions only and that's period. Please promise me this!"

His decisiveness really didn't allow for any protest and to her surprise, she found herself nodding along, "I will do my best."

"I will see to that."

She nodded shyly again and as he let go of her shoulders, she looked away, blinking intensely.

She didn't do that only out of intimidation. It was also because she couldn't see clearly and after blinking a couple of times more, she still couldn't get rid of the sensation. But her eyes were fine; only after a moment, she realized that what blurred her vision was a small stain covering the lens of her glasses. It was the grease from her fingers; it must have gotten transferred there when she had hidden her face in her hands a moment ago. She really needed to clean the lenses in order for her to see the world around properly, so she retrieved her handkerchief from her purse and began slowly polishing the glass, using circular motions.

It was of course also an excuse to remain silent for awhile and recollect herself. At least, that's the way it's _supposed _to be; once can never regain calmness when there's one issue after another getting on one's nerves. And to her, another issue was this stubborn smear, no more, no less. To her irritation, instead of getting cleaned off, it just smudged over even more than before; she realized that it was because she was using the already stained part of her handkerchief. She had to start from scratch. And with a huff of annoyance, she did, focusing all her anger into a gesture of more and more furious rubbing, as if she was rubbing Maxi's face out of existence. Oh, if only…

"Miss O'Brien, if you keep doing that, you will go right through the lens," said the voice next to her and the next thing she knew, olive tanned male fingers smartly pulled the unfortunate glasses out of her hands. Next, George reached into his pocket, produced his own handkerchief and within seconds, she had her glasses back, all squeaky clean.

Patty only sighed, this time with resignation. "I'm sorry. Today, even the grease is against me. And thank you. I mean for the glasses. And sorry again. Your handkerchief is now just as destroyed as mine," she blabbered on chaotically. "That's the second one I owe you…"

"I don't understand what you apologize for, Miss O'Brien," George sounded puzzled. "And what do you mean by 'second one'?"

"Back in May, you know, at the engagement…" she explained hurriedly, "I realized later at night that I didn't return the handkerchief that you had lent me at the lake. So this one makes the second. Actually…" she hesitated but finished her impulsive sentence, "one more time you jump to my rescue and I will feel obliged to call you my hero."

"Miss O'Brien, don't say such things, please. I am no one's hero."

"But you _are_!" she exclaimed honestly, not really controlling the outburst of her emotions. "What you did today… Seriously, how else can I call it? You just stepped in, just like that! You surely must have known that you could have gotten in so much trouble because of me and yet, it didn't stop you from giving me a fake alibi. Why? Why did you risk so much?"

Finally. Finally, she had asked the question that had bothered her mind.

"I didn't risk anything."

"I'm sorry… what?" she exclaimed again, thrown off balance by this unexpected turn of the subject. "Of course you did; you didn't even know what the situation was about!"

"But I did." To her surprise, a certainty lingered in George's voice. "It didn't look like you were caught _by _the police; you were being _handed _to them, by Rippendale. But of course, I needed to make sure about that and that's why when I joined you, I didn't demand anything, I only asked questions. The policeman was just a young lad and a commoner so I decided to make an impression of that of someone who is in a position to take command of others, hoping that it would intimidate him a bit. Good thing that dropping all the names and titles worked almost straight away and he involuntarily gave the information out. So no, I didn't risk anything; I knew that there was no hard evidence against you."

For a few long seconds, Patty sat absolutely speechless. At first, her thoughts didn't even want to queue up in the right order to allow her to ask a coherent question. After the initial shock, George's words began sinking in and something finally clicked. She sat there without any movement, endlessly wondering on what he had just said and trying to embrace it all. The scene on the street was so short that she couldn't even tell for sure if it took three or even less minutes. And he had walked in, commanded as if he was asking for the afternoon tea and now_ he_ was telling _her _how the story went? And he seemed so emotionless! It was as if he was reporting on the weather and not on the event that shook her so much!

So overwhelmed was she that she hadn't noticed that George had avoided answering her question about his motives.

"How… how can you even say that it wasn't risky?" She asked slowly, once her mind snapped out of her pondering. "The policeman clearly said that I was seen in this building! Isn't that evidence? It's like being caught red handed!"

"The policeman didn't say you _were seen_, he said: _'__**this man**__ here states that he saw her…'_ and that makes a big difference." George corrected her patiently. "If it was the police that saw you and caught you, it would have been different. But with Rippendale as the only witness to your 'crime'… oh well, all I had to do was to simply question his reliability. And he was even as generous enough as to help me with it."

If it was possible for her to be even more confused than she has been so far, it was now. She blinked her eyes a few time, vacantly. "Forgive me but I'm afraid I don't follow," she admitted blankly with a perplexed look on her face. "How was _he _of any help? He wasn't helpful at all! He was the cause of all of this! He was aggressive and rude! He even insulted you!"

"Exactly." George nodded and to her surprise, she saw a smile on his face. It was a brief smile but a smile nonetheless and she couldn't understand what was funny enough in this situation that made him smile as such. "This was exactly what I had prompted him to do. He kept throwing insults at me, making himself look like a very violent and unpredictable young man who shouldn't be trusted, while I played the role of a refined gentleman who doesn't need to prove his power or position. The contrast worked very well."

"No but… yeah but… hold on a second…" she stammered again, shaking her head in disbelief. Whilst she wasn't surprised at how he had described the brute's behaviour, she was as her attention was solely caught on his first sentence. "His behaviour wasn't impetuous? You…" she couldn't actually believe what she about to say,_ "provoked _him?

She expected George to deny this daring suggestion but to her surprise, he didn't. "'Manners maketh man', Miss O'Brien," he replied enigmatically. "Sometimes it often pays off to follow this rule and it did this time round, for the officer believed me, did he not? Then, there were the few flattering words addressed directly to him and we were almost in the clear. Isn't _this_ what matters the most?"

Patty sat in silence, intensively trying to digest what she had just heard. While everything that George was saying somehow made perfect sense, she still failed to see how it was actually possible for him to be so well informed since he was the last one who arrived.

"But _how_?" she demanded. "You couldn't possibly work this all out just from what this policeman told you!

George smiled again and it was a warm, reassuring smile. "No, Miss O'Brien, I didn't know everything only from asking," he said calmly. "I never only rely on people's words; I also always watch their body language. This allowed me to judge the situation from a distance, even before I was close enough to join you. I knew that it was Rippendale who had started everything; he was holding your arm and pushing you towards the officer, like someone who is denouncing another person to the police. To the contrary, the officer stood rather passively and only after a moment, he hesitantly reached for the handcuffs. And when I joined you at that point and surprised him with the first question, he backed off a little, like he wasn't sure of what he was supposed to do. Now, that's not behaviour of an officer who had caught somebody red-handed, is it?"

"I guess so…" she agreed, finding absolutely no points that she could argue with. "But what about the officer's background? You can't know that for sure; he didn't say anything about himself!"

"Oh, but he did." George countered. "His accent had betrayed him that his is from north suburbs but his vocabulary suggests that he had received some sort of fine education, so, his family wasn't entirely poor. He doesn't possess a strong personality and I'm guessing that this was the reason for him to choose to be a man of law. It probably makes him feel special. He is still a single man who lives on his own; a woman wouldn't let her husband to go to work in such poorly ironed shirt. I could tell you much more about him but he isn't relevant here."

Patty shook her head, as if this movement could help her get rid of her puzzlement. What George was telling her really made sense, strangely but it really did – but it wasn't even a bit less shocking. "H-how do you do that?" she demanded again. "How do you know these things?"

"It's nothing complicated, Miss O'Brien, really." George shrugged lightly. "I've already said before, I observe body language."

"Body language? What is that?"

Seeing that she wasn't going to stop her questioning, George leaned back on the bench, took a deep breath and continued his explanation.

"The words we use are so deluding, Miss O'Brien, you can trust them only about ten percent, because everybody can say anything and be quite convincing. But not many people realize how much can be said without words, just by posture alone, movements, mimic or the tone of their voice… We receive all that every day. That's body language, the way your body behaves, sometimes without you knowing. The entire body speaks volumes if one only knows what to look out for."

"So, that's what you do…" Patty said slowly, trying to embrace this newly presented knowledge all at once and trying to get George's point of view, "You watch everyone carefully, read their body language and compare what they say to what you've observed?"

"Now we are getting somewhere, Miss O'Brien," George lifted his eyebrows with approval. "That's how it works, yes."

"But…" she paused as she realized something else, "that means you watch everybody… everyday…and also now… You must also be 'reading' me right now, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, Miss O'Brien, it's a habit I can't just switch off or leave on the shelf," George smiled apologetically. "But if this will make you feel better, I will tell you that I don't need to _'read' _you right now. You are not trying to lie to me. Besides, Miss O'Brien, you've been doing the same to me for a while."

"Me?"

George nodded. "All the time. The only difference between us is that I do it deliberately and you – subconsciously."

To that, Patty couldn't find a reply. What could she say to deny this? Nothing at all; he was right. She had been watching him and this had been going on since their meeting at the lake three months ago. So much about her being certain that she was doing it rather discreetly! She had observed him, firmly believing that no one would notice – and no one did except for just one person, the very subject of her observation! It was either because she had been monumentally clumsy in her so called discreet observations or that he was even more perceptive than she had thought. Or a mixture of the both…

But she wasn't going to wonder too deeply about it for now; her head had already taken too much. The main point was, they were both observing each other and he knew that and…

From her musing, Patty was awoken by a sudden loud ringing. The deep, solid sound was coming from just outside the park and it was almost immediately followed by similar ones, chiming out from other places around the city. It was the ringing of the local church bells, proudly announcing the new hour. She didn't really pay attention to it earlier before but she realized that time had passed by very quickly and it was now already six o'clock.

"It's so selfish of me…" she apologized, abruptly brought back to reality. "Here I am, focusing everything on myself and bothering you for more and more explanations while you probably have better things to do… I'm so sorry, Mr. Johnson, I hope I didn't spoil any important plans for this evening…"

"Not at all, Miss O'Brien." For a moment, George looked surprised by her unexpected change of subject but he quickly recovered. "I have no specific plans."

"Seriously?" she wanted to make sure. "No important business to take care of, no private meeting with some friends?"

"None." He confirmed firmly. "To be honest the only thing I came up here for tonight was to finish reading a book."

The thought had come right out of the blue and it took her literally only two seconds to decide that yes, she _did _want to spend a little more time in this man's company. And she didn't hesitate. "Mr. Johnson, since you have no plans, would you allow a very independent feminist to invite you for a coffee?" she asked. "It would be my thank you."

"No, I wouldn't."

This straight answer surprised her unpleasantly. Her offer was indeed totally out of the blue indeed but still…

She didn't want to admit even to herself how disappointed she now felt. "Never mind then," she said calmly with a small shrug. "It was just a silly proposition."

"Not at all." To her surprise, the amusement sounded in George's voice and when she looked at him again, she saw his lips curled into a smile. "There's nothing wrong with your proposition; it's simply me who cannot accept it."

_Here we go again, _Patty thought and opened her mouth, ready to give him a piece of her mind about belittling himself again.

"My honour doesn't let me as I still owe you dinner. A friendly dinner for the winner'?" He added, interrupting her.

Patty promptly closed her mouth but as if to compensate for this act, her eyes opened wider. It was impossible for her to react in any other way; this man just didn't cease to surprise her. There she was, ready to lecture him – and he seemed to be already one step ahead of her, redirecting the subject in a way that had her hold her tongue for a moment. She never suspected that he would remember her words as well as quote her!

And although her reaction was a little delayed, the full meaning of George's words finally dawned on her.

"Our bet!" she exclaimed, surprised by how long it had took her to understand what he meant. "You are speaking of our bet! Does this mean that I…?"

"Yes, you have won, Miss O'Brien," George finished in her stead. "I bought the newspapers in the morning after the reception and you were right. The first pages were all about Sir William and his wife dancing with bare feet, surrounded by a group of men very interestingly called 'The Wild Scotsmen'. And I _was _on one of the printed photographs. Haven't you seen it for yourself?"

"N-no…" Patty stammered, once again caught off-guard by the question. "I… I had forgotten, if I'm to be honest. I know, it's a shame, after all _I_ was the one who insisted on this bet…" she added apologetically, "but there were so many things in the following days that I had to take care off, that it simply escaped me… Now it's probably impossible to get a hold of those newspapers…"

That was the truth… but not entirely.

She didn't buy those newspapers but not because she had forgotten; she just didn't really believe that George will still consider the bet valid after he had protested so stubbornly against the prize that she had proposed. She had persisted but deep in her heart, she had suspected that he would dismiss the entire thing altogether, especially that she had actually forced her idea upon him. And here she was now, slapping herself mentally for judging him so poorly and promising herself never to make any assumptions about this man ever again.

But of course, she wasn't going tell him this.

"If you'd be interested, Miss O'Brien, I still have them." George carried on without even commenting on her apology. "Would you like to read the proof of your victory?"

"My victory…? Oh, yes…" Patty laughed quietly, unexpectedly to herself, amused. The events of this past afternoon weren't funny at all but she now felt that her good mood was slowly returning. "Yes, I'd love to read it all and I will be grateful if you could lend them to me."

"With pleasure. Although…" he trailed off for a bit, "I suppose 'pleasure' is the wrong word…These newspapers are a clear reminder of my loss. So I guess I should rather say 'with a blush of shame and a heavy dose of embarrassment'.

Just the thought alone that he, always so in control of himself, could blush at all was so far fetched and ridiculous that she couldn't restrain herself from laughing again, this time louder.

"I seriously doubt that it's even possible but I would love to see you blush!"

George only lifted his eyebrow at her remark. "And as for the prize, Miss O'Brien…" he inquired, "…do you mind if I start paying my debt off straight away?

"No, not at all," Patty shook her head with a smile. It was Friday evening after all and she was glad that she wouldn't have to spend it at home, alone. "I don't mind at all."

"Then it's settled then." George stated decisively and while standing up, he added teasingly, "Would the proud winner like to choose the place?"

"The winner is also quite spoilt and feeling very lazy so it will be left up to you, Mr. Johnson," she replied in the same manner. "I only have one request. Take me to wherever you feel like as long as they serve alcohol there *51*. I know it might look indecent in your eyes later but I will be asking you another million questions about this body language you speak of and I might have trouble taking all these revelations in without the strong support of a good wine."

"As you wish, Miss O'Brien," he agreed promptly, "I think I might know just the place…"

O O O

She half expected George to take her to one of the many smaller restaurants that Chicago was full of but he once again, surprised her. Straight from the park, he had dropped her off at her house so that she could change into a little more formal attire and then he drove to his apartment to do the same. And when they met again an hour later, he drove her to the lake's coast. She thought that he would pick the ever popular Municipal Pier but he didn't pick that place, no…

'The Drake Hotel' welcomed them with its usual high class splendour and she was glad that she had decided to wear a more elegant dress than the one she had on before. It was one of those places where casual wear was definitely not at all welcomed. She was fully aware of this as they walked up the stairs, surrounded by other guests, all of which were dressed up to the nines.

The restaurant on the first floor wasn't even half full with customers when they got there, but the evening was still to come. George quickly and discreetly dealt with the waiter and after a moment, they were taken to one of the tables set by the windows in south corner of the restaurant. The design, plain glass from floor to the ceiling, gave a majestic panoramic view of the lake and the soon to be sunset above the south side of the city, making their table and seats the best available.

It wasn't of course, the first time that she had visited such a venue so she had no problems with feeling confident. But when it came to placing their orders, she decided to let George deal with the waiter again. She had done it many times in the past when she was out with her cousin and their common New York friends and she could easily speak for herself just fine but this time, she didn't. And strangely, she didn't feel the need to manifest her feminist independence like she would usually. It was a matter of letting George having this evening as the one in charge. She could be wrong of course but she reckoned that he didn't have many opportunities to play the official host. Her sixth sense was telling her that he would feel more important if she left the initiative in his hands.

But the savoir vivre extended only to interacting with others but not for the two of them. She impatiently waited for the time when they would be left to themselves. This moment came after the waiter had poured the water and wine into their respective glasses and went back into the kitchen. For starters, they went through the newspapers George brought for her and enjoyed a little moment of fun as they read together the fragments about 'Wild Scotsmen'. And later, she resumed their conversation that they were having at the park, though more delicately now. Back at home, when she was refreshing herself and getting changed, she had time to calm down and look at the subject through less emotional eyes.

And George kept his promise; as she asked him more and more questions, he patiently replied to each and every one. This is how she also found out that what she thought was his own methods, had in fact, been known for centuries and many people have used it, sometimes without even knowing that they are doing so.

"The true art starts when you are aware of this and know the theory behind it," George summed up his long explanations and took a small sip of his water. "Then all of a sudden, people around you become more or less open books from which you can read almost everything. The citizens of the twentieth century seem to be ignoring the potential of this art form though. Some of them are not even aware of its existence, which I find disheartening," he finished with a mused smile.

Patty restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "Now _that_ tone makes you sound like you were a wise man who was at least a hundred years old…"

"Old? Yes. Wise? – I can't tell."

"Oh, please don't underestimate yourself again, Mr. Johnson! It is a very bad habit of yours," she scolded him facetiously. "First of all, you are not old, secondly, you _are _wise. Your intelligence is something that nobody could deny, for as long as you don't hide it. And that's exactly what you do; hide."

Maybe her words had become too brave by the end but George didn't get or seem upset. To the contrary; he kept looking at her from across the table, his eyes narrowed by just a fraction, which made his gaze even more intense and she understood that she had said something that must have been close to the truth.

"My job is to watch, Miss O'Brien, not to show off."

It was then that something struck her, something about those words he kept repeating over and over again. "No, no… It's not like that, is it?" she protested, concentrating as not to lose her track of thoughts. "It's not your _job _or_ duty _to watch – you are using your watching skills_ in _your job," she went on slowly, carefully choosing the right words to say. She wanted to express her thoughts properly. "You probably even _chose_ to keep with your position within the Andrew's empire because of it. It isn't your job that requires you to always watch, always from the side. It's your nature. This is all you – watching and making calm and calculated conclusions. You just _prefer _it that way, don't you?"

She had seen George surprised before but it was never this obvious and this honest; he completely lost his usual impermeable look; his eyebrows raised high and he stared at her with his eyes wide opened. It was actually quite funny to see him with such a facial expression.

Finally though, a huge smile widened his lips. "Bravo. You've hit home *52*, Miss O'Brien," he admitted, "Yes, I chose to do what I do because of my natural preferences. It _is_ in my nature to observe from the side."

She nodded knowingly. "I now understand why Albert is always so successful with the business that he does with you! You deliberately stay in the shadows so that you can watch, unnoticed, his potential partners and eventual enemies?" she stated further.

"A point for you again, Miss O'Brien!" George's amused smile now turned into a wide, beaming smile, so wide in fact, that from between his lips, his pearly white teeth showed. She had never seen him smile in such a way and she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly higher at the surprising beauty of this smile. "It is true. Keeping myself as a back player gives me a much better perspective.

"And you are saying that you are not wise, Mr. Johnson?" she joked with him almost playfully. "What's wiser than to deliberately allow your opponent to underestimate you while you wait for them to make the wrong move? Oh dear…" she shook her head, amazed with just how many directions her mind had just exploded with this new found knowledge. It was like an epiphany. "With this body language, the possibilities seem endless!"

"Oh?" George encouraged simply. "Now _I _am curious."

If he was surprised by her rapid change of subject, he didn't show it.

"What I mean, Mr. Johnson, is that once you control this art, you can do anything, be anybody you want! Obviously, you need other skills for certain jobs, but understanding other people without them knowing about it… That, plus controlling your own reactions…"

She trailed off, letting her smile fade and with a frown she lowered her eyes at the table as if in deep worry.

"Is there something wrong, Miss O'Brien?" George's voice sounded concerned and satisfied by the reaction that she wanted to get from him, she looked up at him with a smile of victory.

"You see? I just made you react, Mr. Johnson!" she announced. "It was easy, for I knew that you are sensitive to body language and unaware that my behaviour was just an act. But that's exactly what worries me a little, you know? If you were using this skill naturally, without even being aware of it, then we might call it just a gift or at least an amazing sensitivity. However, if you had trained yourself in this 'reading' and deliberately used it on someone who was unaware of it, it would have been called manipulation. Moreover; if you were purposively using this skill on more than one unaware person, that would have been called group manipulation, which I believe is what you did today. But can you imagine what would happen if everybody started to use it on each other? It would have brought chaos, Mr. Johnson! You are a decent man but imagine the world full of all different kinds of people who know how to control themselves and read others… You wouldn't have been able to tell the truth from the lies. You wouldn't have known who to believe. Everything would have all been nothing but an illusion."

The wine was supposed to be consumed with the meal but she needed something to accentuate her little intellectual discovery and reached out for it. She took the first small sip, noticing at the same time that George did the same, although slower, as if he was musing on something. But even though his movements were slow, his gaze was focused and astute.

"You seem to be very philosophical for a woman of such a young age," he said finally.

"I am, Mr. Johnson, not very often but I am." Patty placed her glass back on the table and took the other one, filled with water. The still cold liquid nicely numbed her tongue for a second or so and rinsed out the rich and slightly bitter aftertaste of the wine. Her glass was going to be empty soon but before she even formed the thought of calling the waiter for some more wine, the latter materialized with a frosted bottle and refilled her glass. He did the same with George's glass and left them as discreetly as he appeared.

"Let's leave the dark philosophy for a while," she proposed in much lighter tone. "I think I can see a brighter side to body language."

"I'm all ears, Miss O'Brien." George declared.

"We have been talking about the human race only; how about other species?" she asked, and taking his silence as an encouragement to continue, she went on, "People always think that animals are lesser beings than ourselves because they don't speak. But how do we know that? They must communicate somehow… Dogs are barking at each other, cats are meowing, birds are singing… That is obvious, that's their 'language' we can hear. What about mute animals like fishes? Don't they communicate somehow?"

George shook his head slightly, never letting go of her gaze. "I don't know, Miss O'Brien. I have never thought of that."

"But I did. I used to have a tortoise, back in London and I was always curious about the way it would communicate with other tortoises. You might have given me an answer, Mr. Johnson."

"Really?"

"Yes. I think animals might use body language too. But I'm sorry, I keep talking and you must probably find it boring…"

"No, Miss O'Brien, I _really_ am all ears," George accentuated firmly, "Please continue."

"Okay then…" she accepted gladly. "How do we know that a dog is happy to see us? It wags its tail. And all the dogs do that then it must be a pattern. How do we know that a horse is scared or nervous? It snorts and pins its ears back. And again, all the horses do that. Cats bristle when provoked. It must be the same with other animals then, some movement, maybe colour; some sort of signal, invisible or yet unknown to us, humans…"

George looked away and mused for a moment. She didn't know him well enough to be certain how to read his reactions but at that moment, she didn't have to be a genius to understand that he was wondering intensively at her words. His persistence earlier and now, his silence made her believe that she had really managed to intrigue him.

"That…" he said slowly, without looking at her, "This is a _very_ interesting thought, Miss O'Brien."

Patty smiled at him with gratitude, "I'm glad that you didn't laugh at me."

Their conversation was again interrupted by the waiter who now brought their plates. One contained chasseur of vegetables with medallion of lamb, and the other, breast of chicken a la rose served with a side of waldorf salad.

The meal was exquisite and not only in its looks; it tasted great too.

She didn't expect George to carry on with the same subject but he did, as a matter of fact, before they had even finished eating.

"Miss O'Brien…" he began slowly. He didn't look at her, focused deeply on playing with his glass as if he was hypnotized by the last remaining sunbeams reflecting off the wine's surface. "…I've been thinking of what you said about body language in the kingdom of animals."

"And…?"

"I think you might be right. I remember Sir William telling me about his encounters with many animals. He had been always saying that he can understand them but I always took it for nothing more than just a youngster's tales. I'm not that certain anymore. Maybe he is really capable of understanding animal nature and finding the right way of communicating with them?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. He has a natural instinct and he simply follows it. Maybe that's why you make such good partners."

"We are not _partners_, Miss O'Brien. I'm only his employee…"

"**No**. You are his friend and most trusted man," she cut in quickly. She didn't even feel surprised when he had corrected her words about his relation with Albert. Even now he looked like he was going to protest. "What I meant, Mr. Johnson is that you understand each other, you trust each other and there's great bond between you two, even if neither one of you admits to it openly. And this bond is way beyond the business you do together. I'm sure that as his former caretaker, you must feel greatly attached to him. And, maybe, except for the long time you have spent with his family, except for the trust and understanding the two of you share, what makes this bond even deeper is your skill at 'reading'? Maybe you don't even realize that this is another thing you have in common? The only difference is that he 'reads' animals and you 'read' people, Mr. Johnson. He has the instinct, you have the knowledge."

His black eyebrow twitched and then, shot up high. Slowly, George put his glass back down on the table. "Now, I am _truly_ impressed by your philosophy, Miss O'Brien," He said quietly. "I would have never thought of that."

"Maybe for that, you need to have a person standing on the _side,_" she accentuated, "and watching from the distance?"

"Maybe."

For a few moments, they smiled to each other with understanding. Discovering that they were very similar in their nature was a surprisingly pleasant and warm feeling.

Finally, Patty decided to bring the conversation to the point where everything had started. Back at home while she was changing, she had more than enough time to remind herself a few questions.

"Mr. Johnson, can I ask for your opinion regarding something of a more serious matter?"

"Of course you can."

"But I need to say first that this will be about politics. Do you mind me asking? Or do you think it isn't a matter that women should discuss?"

George glanced at her seriously. "I don't mind you asking at all, Miss O'Brien, but I don't have and I will never have any influence in politics and my opinion won't change anything," he said warily. "Wondering about this is pointless."

"My interests are rather personal, Mr. Johnson."

"I am afraid I still don't understand, Miss O'Brien."

Patty bent slightly over the table. "You will soon," she assured him. "What do you think about feminists? What do you think about the fight for equal rights? Do you think women should have gotten the right to vote or not?"

"May I first know the reason why you are asking me about this, Miss O'Brien?"

"Just tell me, yes, or no."

George hesitated for a second. "I think it was a big step. Everyone should have fair rights."

"Thank you. My next question is: what would you do, if this officer on the street had been old and experienced?"

"Miss O'Brien, I don't see what this has to do with…?"

"You will see. Please just answer, what would you do?"

"Well, I would have either thought of something else to say or behave accordingly to the situation."

"That's exactly as I thought." Patty smiled with satisfaction. "Accordingly, that's exactly what I need… Mr. Johnson, the reason I asked you the previous question is because I don't want to involve you in something you disagree with."

"May I know what do you mean by 'involving me', Miss O'Brien?" came his quiet, calm question.

"I am but just a small part of changes in the twentieth century, Mr. Johnson, but I believe deeply in what I do," she explained firmly. "The reason I said I don't want to involve you in something you disagree with is because I am going to ask you for your help. Here is my point, Mr. Johnson. I want you to teach me all about body language. I want to become better at observing people and to react before they react, just like you do. I'll tell you why. The fight didn't stop at achieving the women's right to vote. I had decided some time ago that I want to become a lawyer in the future so I can be more helpful to other women in our fight. I want to clear another path for them. But in order to do that, I need to be good, really good at understanding what's unspoken and even better at controlling my own reactions. I might not have your natural abilities, experience or precision but even just a tiny bit of it would do and I do learn fast if I want to. And I _do_ want to, " she accentuated.

George lowered his eyelids and sat motionless at the table while she waited for his decision. He was never impulsively fast in his replies, but now, it was taking him even longer and she had no doubts that her proposition surprised him quite a bit. But when he opened his eyes again, she knew somehow that he had made some sort of decision.

"I don't know if I can _teach_ you, Miss O'Brien."

"But you are not denying me the idea of me being a lawyer. Ha!" she exclaimed joyfully. "That's something! There's hope for me yet!"

But as he continued to stare at her, twisting his lips meaningfully, her smile faded. Funny, he didn't say a word and yet, she felt like a scolded little girl. "So you do disagree with my idea then?" she asked in a more serious manner.

"No, no…" George replied with a shake of his head. "I was concerned about how you imagine such lessons."

She breathed, relieved. When it came to organizing such things as lessons, she already had some ideas. "I can hire you officially as my teacher and pay you monthly if that is what you meant…" she teased.

George straightened up. "I could never charge you for that, Miss O'Brien! What I was concerned about was Sir William and our work. I might need to wait until he comes back and speak with him, as he decides about my time off."

"Does that mean 'yes', Mr. Johnson? If he agrees - will you teach me?"

"Yes, Miss O'Brien, I will." George nodded and her heart nearly made a flip from joy. Outside, she only smiled with gratefulness but inside she was totally beaming at the prospect of spending more time with this man. She couldn't exactly tell why exactly she wanted it but she wasn't going to ponder about the reasons right now. What she knew was that she couldn't simply start going out with him just like that, without a good reason for it and these lessons would be a _very_ good excuse.

"So, how about a little toast, Mr. Johnson?" she proposed teasingly, reaching for her glass. "For wisdom, for the art of reading… and for the bet that I had won?"

"Cheers to the art of reading and to the proud winner!" George replied as their glasses connected with a sharp, crystal ping.

"One more thing, Mr. Johnson…" she asked after they fulfilled their toast. "May I have this honour of calling you my friend and teacher?"

George shook his head again with smile. "Miss O'Brien… the pleasure is all _mine_."

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

**AN/** I hope you weren't disappointed that this chapter wasn't at all about our beloved couple. As I said earlier, there are others in this story that demanded from me to let them have their fifteen minutes of fame. The newly married are back in the next chapter, I promise!

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

**Footnotes:**

*47* Women achieved their rights to vote in 1920

*48* Whoever doesn't remember or don't know who this character is, I send you off to read Rosa Carmona's 'Crossroads I'. Patty encountered Maxi at chapter 4 and it wasn't the nicest of meetings, no...

*49* Café Brauer - A real café, built and opened to the public in 1908, still stands.

*50* South Pond - one of the two ponds in Lincoln Park, North Chicago.

*51* During prohibition only very few restaurants had a concession to serve alcohol legally.

*52* Hit home - to be especially memorable or meaningful; to do something particularly great or to fully understand. Here, hit 10/10

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


	32. PARADISE

**Hi guys!**

**I can't believe that I was away for so long! It was because... never mind. Back now. So, where was I? Ah, yes. The honeymoon trip... Just for you, we made this chapter extra long.**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SCENES THAT ARE FOR 18+ ONLY. If you are under-age or don't like that kind of writing, please, skip it.**

**For the rest of you:**

**1. M****ake sure you have plenty of time.**

**2. ****Prepare a drink, best with colourful paper umbrella on top**

**3. ****Sit back**

**4. ****Enjoy!**

**...**

**CHAPTER 32: PARADISE**

A strong but pleasantly warm morning breeze kept sweeping up along the gold, sandy shore in irregular intervals, making the ever present salty smell of the open ocean even stronger. A group of large, white seagulls soared gracefully high above the water's wavy surface, skilfully catching the wind's warm current in their long, outstretched wings, seemingly for the mere pleasure of such an effortless glide. However, gliding on the wind was just simply a way of saving energy for something else. Every now and then, some of the birds would peel away from the group and swiftly dive down towards the water's surface, on those occasions, putting all their effort into reaching it faster than the others.

This was a race. A race only the fastest and the most skilful of contestants would win. This was what they really needed their energy for – to be the first to feed. The tide was going out fast and it was now easy to catch the fish that had gotten trapped within the confines of the rock pools, hiding in the corners and crevices. The spread out fishing net, floating just offshore was an easier target. There were a lot of fish in there but its numbers were also finite.

But they weren't racing only against each other. They had to hurry before the water began withdrawing its march from the beach, before humankind came back and claimed for themselves anything that hadn't manage to escape in time.

And the blond haired couple that had just turned up to collect the bounty now, was apparently a serious competition. Even though immersed in the water up to their chests, they moved quickly and almost silently. Within moments, the net was slipped off the wooden sticks that had held it in place. The birds kept flying above the couple's heads, piercingly screaming their protests but to no avail. The fishing net was now securely closed and their free feast was over. At least they still had the rock pools.

The man and the woman now began towing the load towards the beach. They struggled with the surprisingly strong current that was created by the outgoing tide and the still oncoming waves, but their hold on the closed net remained firm. Only when they had finally reached the shore and walked out from the water, did they loosen their grasp and lower the fishnet onto the wet, hard sand. From within the netting, numerous fish tails of different kinds and colours, convulsed frantically.

"Not bad for such a windy day," the man spoke with great satisfaction to his companion, and just like her, he too was breathing heavier from their effort. "And there I was, afraid it would be completely empty!"

"No. Ask my hands; they will definitely tell you that it is _not_ empty," laughed the woman. "And who knows how much of this catch was eaten by those winged thieves before we came!"

"Well, they do have to eat like everything else on this planet," the man shrugged his bare shoulders. "Let's see how many we managed to save."

He walked a few steps towards the dry part of the sand where there lay a small, oval basket weaved from palm leaves. He brought it closer to the fishnet and rejoined the young woman, who was already kneeling beside it and untying its tangled knots. One by one, the fish were released, quickly dispatched and placed inside the basket. How many did they catch? They kept counting. But as they got to nine, the woman put her hand back into the netting once more before she suddenly squeaked out loudly, at the same time jumping backwards. She did it so quickly that she lost her balance and clumsily fell onto the sand.

She sat there frozen.

The reason behind her sudden moment was all down to a little, small red crab. Once freed from the net, it too also fell onto the sand. But unlike her, it didn't sit there for longer than a second. With deft speed, so quickly that an eye could barely follow the movements of its legs, it made off, sideways, towards the water. In a blink of an eye, it disappeared into the waves of the retiring ocean.

"You just allowed our very nice crab soup to go and escape," the man scolded her. He tried to sound serious but the corners of his mouth quivered visibly in a barely restrained laugh. "Again." he added meaningfully.

"I can't help it!" she complained while getting back on her feet. Some sand had stuck to the wet fabric of her loose, linen trousers but she didn't even bother to shake it off. "Those things scare me. Give me a shark, I can deal with that. Crabs – it's a big 'nah-uh'! No!"

The man sniggered at first and then, laughed out heartily. "Ready to bravely face off family dragons and sharks of the ocean, but yet incapable of dealing with one small crab? Not even for your husband? And I really fancied some crab soup... Is this how a good wife looks after her husband's empty stomach?"

For a reply, he only received a playful wag of a finger before his companion got back to work.

When all the fish were removed, the man stood up, pulled the fish net back into the water and rinsed it thoroughly. Then, he folded it neatly again and came out, shaking off the wet sand and small pebbles from his bamboo sandals.

Carrying the basket between them, with the folded fishing net placed on top of it, the couple proceeded up across the beach. At the forest's edge, where the sand ended, they simply walked into the thick greenery that entirely covered the ground between the palm trees. To somebody who might have observed them from the side, it would have looked as if their choice of route was selected completely at random and that they would soon get stuck in the thick foliage. One had to walk directly behind them to notice, that cut right through the greenery, there was a miniscule path, a path just wide enough for a single person to go through.

That path led them deeper into the tropical forest. It seemed very dense but after another, maybe what seemed to be like fifty feet, it suddenly opened up into a natural, small clearing, with a narrow, clear stream cutting it in half. There, they placed the basket on the grass and busied themselves with hanging the fishnet on the nearby trees, to let it dry.

The clearing seemed empty – but only at first sight. Looking more carefully, one would notice that there were things that weren't a natural part of the forest. Things like the perfectly rectangular contours of the wall of sticks and tangled plants that cascaded down from them like a green waterfall towards the ground. It was about head height and eight feet across. It blended in well with its surroundings. Mother Nature is usually rather unlikely to create such regular shapes, and indeed, upon closer inspection, one would see that the sticks were held together with vine. This was an object that could only have been built by human hands – a shelter. There were barely a couple of other things that indicated human interference; a small ring of stones that surrounded a pile of dark ash, a black cooking pot that hung on a hook near the shelter and a very thin, empty rope that stretched across between two palm trees. Beside those little details, the forest was virtually untouched.

The couple finished hanging the net and the blond woman pointed at the basket full of fish. "What are we actually going to do with all of them?" she asked. "That's way too much to eat at once and we won't be able to take the rest with us... And I was just thinking… That store in Kihei doesn't offer much but maybe the villagers would want to exchange some of their own products for a fish?"

"Not a bad idea," the man nodded. "I think it's worth a try. But we should hurry then."

"Wait… how about if you go by yourself? Without me, you will be free to walk much faster. And I can stay here and prepare everything for breakfast so by the time you get back, the food will be ready."

"That's true, it would save us some time. But will you be able to manage with everything here all by yourself?" he wanted to make sure and as his companion confirmed this, he nodded again. "Alright, then we'll do it that way." he agreed and in the next moment, a wide, playful smile stretched across his lips. "I actually like this idea of yours… I will be walking to the village, imagining you, sitting here and preparing breakfast for your husband, just like any _good_ wife should... I only hope you don't burn anything…"

A quick up and down wag of his eyebrows accentuated his words and upon hearing and seeing this, the young woman made a truly scary frown. "William Albert Andrew, you've been a horrible tease right from the moment you woke up! Keep teasing this wife of yours and you will end up with no breakfast whatsoever as I shall eat it all by myself!" she growled, but the attempt to look and sound scary failed miserably, for laughter was clearly in her voice.

"Well, if indeed there will be no food left when I get back... my wife, herself, shall become my breakfast!" he retorted quickly with a teasing wink and ran quickly away with a chuckle towards the shelter, before the young woman could think of something to say back.

And she stood where he had left her, slightly dumbfounded and with a bright blush that appeared on her cheeks as soon as she realised what he'd actually meant by his said words. A moment later, she shook her head minutely and smiled to herself. It was a smile of a person who was used to those kinds of jokes.

With the smile still on her lips and a thought in her mind, she walked to the basket, where after a moment of hesitation she chose three fish and put them down on the grass by the stream. The rest remained in the basket, ready to be taken by her husband. And there he was, already outside their shelter and finishing dressing up for his little trip. He looked different now; his almost weightless bamboo sandals were now replaced by heavy, brown leather boots, he had a straw hat perched on his head and his previously bare torso was covered by a loose beige shirt. He was going to town, and there, he couldn't just show himself amongst other people wearing just shorts, like he usually did at their campsite.

Soon, she would be left all alone in the clearing, as her husband fixed the basket onto his back and after stealing a quick peck from her lips, marched up the stream. A few minutes later, she headed in the opposite direction, back towards the ocean, with the fish, a knife and a cooking pot in her hands. The fish was best cleaned on the beach, where one didn't have to be concerned about littering, like near the campsite. They didn't want to contaminate the stream, their only source of drinking water, with fish innards. Even the tiniest ones, if left on the ground, would quickly start decomposing in the hot, humid air and create a bad smell. Not to mention that it would also attract hordes of ants and other biting insects, very much undesired on _any_ campsite. On the beach, to the contrary, there was no such worry; there was unlimited access to the salt water and the fish innards could be disposed off on the sand. The ever hungry seagulls were more than willing to take care of that.

And today, they were exceptionally eager. When she came out from between the trees, the birds appeared suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, and as she worked, they kept hovering literally above her head. One of them was so impatient, in fact, that it nearly knocked the straw hat off her head. Her shouts of facetious anger and huge waving motions of her hands had, of course, no effect whatsoever. It was clear that they couldn't wait for the moment when she would finally leave, so they could feast on this easy food.

And this was exactly what happened. The very moment she had finished and left, the whole flock landed with loud piercing screams on the sand. Their eagerness amused her and she couldn't help but wanting to watch their fight for the leftovers. She sat down in the shadow of a palm tree, placing the pot with the cleaned fish by her side and allowed herself this short moment of being a silent witness to the scene before her. And as she kept watching, she smiled, mused. This loud, fierce fight didn't shock her at all. Here, on this island, more than ever before, she understood the circle of life. Here, she didn't watch nature from a distance, like she used to for the past few years. Here, she was a part of it. Here, there was no looking through a window – because no matter where they built it, their shelter had no windows. Here, nature was something more than just grass and some well maintained plants in the city parks; it was all around them and untamed. The walls here were built for necessary protection from the weather and mosquitoes, not for separation and escape from the world around. Whatever animals they met here lived freely, not behind the bars in the cages of a zoo and they behaved just like they were destined to behave – they hunted and they, themselves, were hunted. The only rule in this world of animals was simple – survival. Survival of the fittest.

And this was real. Watching this all around her made her feel like she was a part of this real, primal life. And she loved it. Oh, she loved every moment of it and more and more with each passing day. She couldn't have dreamt of a better honeymoon. To others it might have perhaps seemed that travelling the Hawaiian Islands only on their feet and sleeping in rudimentary shelters was not exactly on the list of top ideas for a honeymoon destination - but not to her, at least not anymore. She had, of course, initially been really surprised by her husband's proposition, uncertain and even a little scared of embarking on such a trip into the wild, when he told her exactly what they would be doing in Hawaii - but by now, any doubts she had had before were now gone. Life in the city had not extinguished the memories of her crazy childhood years spent in the forests of Michigan. Of course, this long 'wilderness' camping thing was new to her but thanks to her tomboyish character, she had adjusted quite quickly and had enjoyed every single moment of this tour so far.

It was a life totally different than to the one in the city.

Simple and primitive – but still stunningly beautiful.

It was demanding and sometimes uncomfortable – but was also wonderfully peaceful and free.

They weren't on Maui completely alone, of course. People had lived here for centuries and after many dramatic shifts throughout history, the island was getting busy again. Its west side and the middle were bustling with life out on the sugarcane fields and the rapidly developing pineapple plantations. Along their point – to – point route around the island, there were some small villages and towns dotted here and there, so they didn't have to worry about running out of food completely. But when it came to choosing a place in which to camp, they preferred one of those secluded spots along the shore. It gave them the feeling of living in the wild and allowed them to enjoy nature to its fullest.

And there was plenty to enjoy! It was just impossible _not_ to fall in love with Maui - not with the breathtakingly beautiful views at every turn, not with the amazing variety of wild fruits and vegetables that grew almost everywhere, ready to be picked up and eaten. Not with the intoxicating fragrances coming from the pineapple fields, from the tropical forest or with fresh winds from the open ocean. She didn't get to see the other Hawaiian islands but Maui looked like a paradise lost on Earth that was created to make everyone who saw it, to instantaneously fall in love with it. And after all – who _wouldn't _love a paradise that smelled of wildness and freedom and pineapples?

She did. They both did. Freedom was such a simple thing – but this was exactly what they both needed to be happy. They simply felt relaxed, released from such burdens of their everyday lives. Without anyone around to judge them, they were free to do exactly what they wanted, whenever they wanted to do it, to go wherever they wanted and stay wherever they decided to stay, limited only by the stamina of their own legs and the weight of their backpacks. Their days were spent on gathering food, eating, sightseeing, relaxing on the gorgeously soft sand, swimming or just travelling when they decided to move on from one place to another. And their nights were for admiring the stars, listening to the sounds around them, for quiet, intimate chats and finally, something for their peaceful sleep…

…after their lovemaking.

Their beautiful lovemaking under the stars.

Even thinking of it made the mused smile on her face a little wider.

Yes, life couldn't be more beautiful.

_I want stay here... foreve_r, she thought to herself.

She sighed dreamily and as she moved slightly, a loud shriek came from her side, snapping her out of her sweet musings. She looked in that direction and immediately, her dreamy expression changed completely. She frowned, and then began waving her hands in the air and shouting. She had successfully shooed the bold bird away from the cooking pot but it was too late. The smart seagull had already gotten a firm hold on the piece of the fish with its beak. She managed to grab the other end of the fish. And so began a tug of war. Neither opponent would back down and no quarter given. Their struggle was a mighty one until the fish finally slipped out of her hands. And now, now she could only watch as the seagull ran down the beach, flapping its wings until it finally flew away with its prize, victorious.

"Nice one, Candy," she scolded herself aloud. "You dream on and don't even notice that the birds have stolen a fish from right from under your nose!"

She vigorously jumped up off the ground and with the cooking pot in her hands, she hurried back to the campsite and once there, she didn't even for a moment stop running around and preparing everything for the meal ahead. The thing that kept her the longest in one place was starting the fire. It took her a good few moments of uncomfortable kneeling on the ground, a few wasted matches and lots of huffing, blowing and coughing before the shy, flickering flame finally bit into the wood properly.

Sometime later, when the fish were already roasting away on the sticks over the fire, she heard a distant, joyous whistle coming from up the stream, quickly getting louder. She recognized the tune and smiled.

"That was fast!" she called out loud enough so that he could hear her clearly. "Was it worth it?"

"You bet it was!" Albert's voice came from behind the tall fern bushes and a moment later, he himself appeared in the clearing. "You had a very good idea, honey. You know, now, with most of the people from the village, even the kids, away in the cane fields, there aren't that many left who could go fishing. And I was lucky to meet a couple of women so desperate for some fresh fish that they took everything I had. Look how they paid me."

He came closer and gingerly took the basket off his back. And as he started to take the goods out, some of them very gently, and then, place them on the grass before her, Candy's eyes shone with joy. "Eggs? Potatoes? Milk? And even a piece of apple pie? All that for ten fish?!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"They were more than happy that they didn't have to pay with money," he explained and then, added, chuckling, "You should see them, almost competing with each other, which one can propose a better offer."

"And of course your charming smile played no part in the bargain, did it?" she teased.

"Of course not." he replied innocently and Candy rolled her eyes.

**O O O**

Things around the meal progressed faster as they worked together and soon, they sat down to eat. The food they made was of course very simple but it was more than enough in quantity for their appetites. And there was a reason that this time, they prepared more than they could eat. Today was the day they were leaving their campsite and one of the rules about travelling from one place to another was to never leave empty handed. They could never know if they would be able to find any edible fruits on the way, so having some sort of ready-to-eat lunch with them was essential.

Whilst they sat around and ate, joking every now and then, another portion of water was boiling in the cooking pot. With water, it was the same thing as with the food; they always had to carry enough of it with them - and it all had to be previously boiled. Right at the beginning of their trip, Albert had explained to her why they should never risk drinking straight from rivers, streams or pools, no matter how clean and fresh it appeared. _"The water might seem clean but we are not used to it. Besides, you never know what could have happened up the stream. In Africa, I was once so thirsty that I couldn't be bothered to wait and I drank straight from the river. I was sick for days," _he had told her back then and the vision of that had stopped her from any arguments. The nurse in her could more than well imagine all the possible bacteria in the water, from that moment she was the first to make sure that they had always enough of safe water to drink.

"Honey, look, it's getting a bit cloudy." she pointed up at the sky when they had finished their meal. "Do you think we could leave before midday then, instead of in the afternoon? We could get to Wailea earlier."

"Maybe. We'll see how the weather will be when we finish packing."

And this was what they did. After placing the pot with hot water in the stream to cool it down, they got busy with different things. While Candy quickly washed their metal mess tins and cutlery, Albert took care of the fishing net, by folding it neatly on the grass and then, tying it tightly with string. Then, they both went to the shelter to pack their respective backpacks and roll up their blankets – it was almost done. Just a couple more things; dismantling the shelter and fire pit, retrieve the vine that had held the supportive wooden sticks together and finally, pouring the chilled water into several bottles and packing the food – and they could go. Normally, they would have never picked midday for hiking; it was the worst hour to do so, for the air above the beaches resembled the one in an oven, not to even mention the temperature of the sand itself. This time, however, the sun was, for the most of the time, hidden behind the clouds and even though those clouds were rather thin, it was enough for them to progress without the fear of getting sunstroke.

The heat of the day was, of course, tiring and it kept forcing them to make pit-stops often to catch some rest but they didn't mind those little breaks. How could they mind when they had all those incredible, constantly changing views, opening up right before them?

It felt like they just couldn't get enough of feasting their eyes on the stunning beauty of those places. The island's south shore was mostly flat and easy to travel through but its face kept changing constantly. Not too far away from their last campsite, the forest had began to thin out, leaving only a few loosely scattered palm trees that separated the beach from the flat, fertile lands. In these places, nothing stopped them from admiring the wild meadows covered by untamed grass, the brownish-green fields in the distance and the gentle swell of the west slopes of the Haleakala Volcano. And then, the forest could come back unexpectedly, emerging suddenly from this sea of grass, covering the magnificent view once more. Making their way through this particular part of the shore had felt like this area was almost a completely separated island in itself. The shoreline around here was much narrower than usual, the beach, as with the others on the island, was in the shape of a crescent, with little peninsulas at both ends. On those peninsulas, trees and bushes fought for space, some on the verge of very nearly stepping straight into the ocean. All this combined, as a whole, made it felt like this particular beach was the most secluded place in the whole world. And then, the lush green forest would rapidly withdraw again, leaving them once again in open space.

**O O O**

The weather had been merciful on them today thus far; the breeze from the ocean was still quite strong, significantly refreshing the air and the white clouds covered them from the scorching sun. The lack of bright light made the colours in everything around them a bit dull, a bit pale but it wasn't a very high price to pay for the possibility to travel at all during those early afternoon hours.

But as it would appear later on, the generosity of the weather before had been quite deceptive; those innocently looking clouds had come to bring rain. They had now been walking for a couple of hours when something happened and it came as a total surprise. The scattered, shredded clouds, that only moments ago had been passing high in the sky above them, suddenly thickened and clumped together. And as it grew, it dropped lower, lower still, until it blanketed everything in sight in shades of dark grey. A strong gust of wind and seconds later and without any further warning, the heavens simply opened up.

It felt as if somebody had dumped a whole bucket of water at them, all at once, and it happened so quickly that they were caught by surprise, out on the open space. On the narrow path above the beach, having not a single tree around to hide under in time, they were exposed to the elements and were defenceless. The rapid and heavy downpour whipped the entire south-west coast like a cowboy whips an unsuspecting horse. This soaked them to the bone in seconds and as quickly as it arrived, it disappeared just as fast. The entire ordeal only lasted for five minutes. They just stood where they were, caught in the middle of the path, dumbfounded by the suddenness of this assault and could only observe as the dark grey wall of water briskly moved away towards the volcanic ridges and further north-east. Merely a minute later, the sky above them looked just like it did before, as if nothing had happened.

"What..?" Candy asked in shock, "What on Earth was _that_?"

"Niagara Falls straight from the heavens?" Albert joked weakly, his voice also full of disbelief. "I thought I've been in heavy rains in Africa but this…"

He trailed off and sighed heavily. And when he turned his head to look at his wife, water promptly poured out from the large brim of his straw hat and sploshed onto the wet muddy ground.

Candy watched it dripping and all of a sudden, she started giggling. "You look like… like a wet cat!" she uttered.

The comparison was quite accurate; with his drenched shirt sticking to his chest, Albert didn't look any better than a clumsy kitten that had fallen into a bath. And the way the wet brim of his hat was now beginning to lose shape, bend and then droop down the sides of his face only increased the resemblance.

"And who is the tease now?" Albert retorted with a small smile. Then he shook himself off and reached his hand under her, now also, floppy hat. He took in his fingers some of the wet strands of hair that had plastered itself flat onto her skin and peeled it off slowly. "You yourself look like a sad chicken," he joked.

Candy only giggled louder, for some reason more amused than upset by their pitiful wet state. It was so infectious that he started laughing too, shortly at first but then, their amusement won over their shock. Moments later, they were both laughing helplessly, uncontrollably, swaying on their feet with an infectious giggling fit.

When they had calmed down a bit, Albert remembered their belongings and called for an immediate check up, starting with the food from the basket that he carried, tied to his backpack. To their relief, everything was secure and dry. The metal mess tins, once more, proved to be just ideal for this type of travelling; their design made them useful on the campsite, as a dish, as well as during the hike, as a securely closed lunch box. The well-fitted lid made it almost hermetic and protected the food well inside; everything was still dry.

They were also lucky with their main luggage. The blankets, tightly rolled and fixed on top of each backpack, provided some protection from the rain. Only the outer side of each blanket got wet but it wasn't anything they couldn't fix. And since it was high time for a proper lunch break, they did so, by the nearest coppice.

On the beach, there was one of those crescent shaped ones, tiny and cosy, enclosed within two arms of sharp edged, black rocks. The one that embraced the beach from the south was larger; it rose about two metres above the ground and it cut deeply into the water, creating a miniature bay. On its top grew, like everywhere else on the island, palm trees and lots of wildly tangled, ground plants. It was a great place to get some rest.

With the aid of the string, they stretched the blankets open between the palm trees to dry out. After the rain, the ground was now steaming intensively, as did their blankets. The air was moist but the wind was strong and Candy hoped that this would be enough to quickly dry the wet wool.

They too, had to change and the first things to be taken off were their boots. But as she bent over her bag to get a spare set of dry clothes, Albert embraced her from behind and pulled her upwards.

"I fancy a little swim," he said. "Would you care to join me?"

"What? Now?" she couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Albert was the one who could never get enough of swimming but she was surprised to see him so eager, even after being in a downpour just minutes ago. "Haven't we already taken a shower, in Niagara Falls?"

"What, those few drops?" he replied to her in the same joking manner. "Come on, it was only a little refreshment! Only the ocean is the real deal."

Candy wasn't sure but finally agreed. "Just let me change into my swimming costume," she added.

"What for?" Albert shrugged, and before she could even blink, he had already begun pulling her off the rocks and towards the water's edge. "We might as well jump in as we are."

"With clothes on? _Swimming_ with clothes on?"

"Why not? We can't be any wetter than we already are. Besides, it's not like we haven't done it before."

Candy could only laugh. "Well, thank you for pointing out the obvious," she argued in a playful, mocking tone, "but that's a bad excuse. What can possibly be fun about swimming with ones clothes on? To me, it's difficult enough to _walk_ dressed in the water, when we fish every morning. I guess swimming wouldn't be any easier."

"You can't know that for sure unless you try," Albert replied. "Besides, there's some perks to it. When you swim with your clothes on, it's kind of like washing them at the same time, so you spare yourself from the bother later," he added.

Upon hearing such plain ridiculousness, all she managed to do was to tut doubtfully. She didn't yet have the right words to smartly comment on her husband's statement. And she wasn't given the liberty to even try to find one; just as she opened her mouth to say something, _anything_, Albert suddenly stopped at the water's edge and faced her, thus making her come to a halt as well.

"But of course, if you think it would be v_ery_ uncomfortable, you can always take them off," he continued indifferently and looked innocently up at the sky.

"My husband is back to his reasonable self again, thank you," she sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. "This is exactly what I wanted to do in the first place; change into my swimming suit. Just give me a minute, I will be quick…"

She wanted to turn away and walk back to their backpacks but she barely made a movement when her husband's arm wrapped tighter around her waist, holding her firmly in place. Taken by surprise, she didn't put up any resistance as he pulled her closer to himself. Not that she would ever try to escape his embrace… She let him, obediently following his lead and only winced slightly at the odd sensation of her wet shirt sticking to her skin as their bodies touched. A second later she stopped noticing it. Her body had now grown used to the feeling; after all, it wasn't the first time she had worn wet clothes.

What seemed more important was how _very_ closely Albert was holding her body to his. "Do you think you could —" he inquired, tilting his head to one side, "…skip the _changing_ part?"

Candy didn't really understand what he meant.

"I meant that, you know," he went on with his reply to her puzzled look, "you could get rid of that wet shirt and all…" He paused for a second, just before the corner of his mouth mischievously stretched across his cheek. He smiled as his eyes glanced meaningfully down her body, "but that's it. No changing into anything_._"

"What… you want me to undress and stay nake-" she stammered suddenly, as her mind finally got 'it'. "I mean… I didn't say that…" she wanted to retract her statement but just one glance at her husband's widening smile told her that no, she clearly had _not_ misunderstood. "You're not serious… are you…?"

"Why, is there something wrong with that?"

"How can you even say that?" the shock opened her eyes wide, "Or… or even think about it! It's… it's… inappropriate! No, more than inappropriate – it's… it's… indecent!"

"It's indecent only if you are looking through the prism of rules and regulations forced upon us by civilisation," Albert countered smartly. "I thought we'd agreed to leave all the 'appropriate' and 'inappropriate' behind?"

"Well, yes, but-," she hesitated, "but this is something different! We're in the open, in a public place! Imagine what would happen if someone saw us!"

Albert first had a quick glance around them and then, turned his head back to her. "It's a _wild _place, Candy," he corrected her. "And there's no one here for at least a three mile radius. No one can see us here."

Instinctively, before she could stop herself, she too cast a curious glance over her shoulder. And he was of course, right. In this part of the shore there was no one here but them – and some birds high above in the coppice. "Yeah, but still..." she replied hesitantly, "it just seems… so crazy! Almost too crazy!"

"Wonderfully crazy, yes," he admitted, winking. "And isn't that the point of our trip? Doing all the crazy things we can't usually do back in normal life? You won't get an opportunity like this to swim naked in Chicago, I can assure you! Such a shame, by the way, it feels so great…" he added with a twitch of his eyebrows.

"And how can you know that? Have you done it before?"

Albert nodded. "The last time was last summer."

"The _last _time? So that wasn't your first?"

"Ha! The first one, my dear, was before you were even born. And it's one of the brightest highlights of my childhood in Lakewood."

For the next few long moments, Candy didn't say anything. After the initial shock, the idea started to feel more and more appealing. It must have been the indestructible tomboy inside her. It never required much of a coaxing to resurface and make her shed the tight cocoon of the said rules and regulations – and here, now too, it was already nagging her to forget everything and to just jump right into the arms of adventure. There was still a voice of reason that was still trying to lecture her about manners and what's appropriate and what's not, but it was beaten back a little more with each passing second. The naughtiness of this little proposed adventure was making it far too irresistible.

"Well, do what you want" Albert suddenly let her go, shrugging indifferently. "I intend to use the freedom here to the fullest and be a _real_ Child of Nature. You don't have to, if you don't feel ready. Go and get your costume and swim like a lady, if you really must…"

She, _not ready_?

As he walked out onto the drier sand, unbuttoning his shirt on the way, Candy quickly made a decision, pushing away any doubts she had. "Wait!" she called out, running after him. "I… I want to try it too."

Albert glanced at her from above his shoulder and on his face she saw a wide, cheeky smile. She understood immediately that his indifference from just a moment ago was completely feigned. He had simply tricked her! Oh, how he knew only too well what were the best ways to get her into doing what he wanted!

She smiled slyly to herself. Out of the blue, in her mind a small plan formed. Her, not ready?! Well then! If he thought that he was the only one capable of being wild, then he was wrong!

As fast as she could, she unbuttoned her wet shirt and nearly ripped it, literally tearing the wet fabric off her body. The same fate met with the rest of her clothes; the linen pants and her underwear. And she had reached her goal; she had managed to take all her garments off before Albert was even done taking his shirt off.

She carelessly tossed all her clothes far back onto the sand, where the waves couldn't reach them and stood right in front of her startled husband. "Catch me if you can!" she said as she playfully stuck her tongue out at him and promptly took off into the water. A loud "That's _cheating_!" that came from behind her only made her burst with laughter even louder. Still laughing, she skipped furiously over each oncoming wave, not slowing down even for a second, not even when the water splashed strongly against her uncovered and sensitive intimate parts. It tore a loud squeak out of her throat but she continued running until the water was deep enough to swim in. Then, she took a deeper breath and dove into the waves.

The water rocked violently against her head and back, pulling her hair and pressing her flat against the sandy sea bottom. The pressure was so strong that there was no way of challenging it. It could have seemed as if it would never again allow her to resurface, but having had the experience of this many times already in past weeks, she didn't panic. She didn't waste energy on fighting it and indeed, it passed by quickly, leaving her in calmer waters and able to swim. Which she did, still immersed. Another thing that she had discovered here; it was much better to swim underwater rather than on the surface. It was the water's surface that received the main impact of the breaking waves and whatever object was up there, it was also exposed to this force, thus pushed back. Fighting the current was much more efficient if one did it near the sea bottom.

She kept swimming until another wave crashed against her and as soon as she felt the vibrating pressure rolling along her legs, she resurfaced, turning in the process. She kept her head low; while the foamy wave's crest kept her invisible from the beach, she could see everything well enough. Albert, hopping on one leg, was finishing tearing his loose pants off, and she knew she had only seconds left before he too, ran into the water. Before he could lift his head, she took a breath and dove again.

An idea cropped into her mind as she swam vigorously and doing her best to get as far away as possible. How long could she carry on swimming like this? Albert was for sure already in the water by now, maybe even swimming. And when it came to that, she had no illusions whatsoever that she couldn't easily escape him. He could swim incomparably faster than her and if she continued swimming away in a straight line, he would catch up with her in no time. But what if…?

Making sure to have a passing wave as cover, she resurfaced and blinking rapidly to remove the water from her eyelashes, she quickly scanned the far end of the rocks on her left. It wasn't that far… and she had noticed earlier on that the waves there didn't seem as big as at their break point near the beach…

With the decision made, she dove once more.

This time, instead of swimming straight ahead, she steered her body to the left. This change of course was immediately noticeable; with her body now set at an angle to the direction of the waves, she was more exposed to its force and she felt how much harder it was to cut through them without being pushed back. But she was determined and she swam through another two consecutive waves, literally pushing her lungs to the limits.

But it was worth it! When she finally lifted her head, gasping for air, she was already in the open water, beyond the last of the rocks. A quick turn and glance assured her that her manoeuvre hadn't been noticed yet and she only needed to swim just a few more feet to the left to be hidden completely.

But her joy from her achievement was a little premature. The next moment that she knew, an approaching wave had hit her from behind and tossed her a few feet backwards, towards the bulging rocks. Apparently, the waves here weren't as soft as they had first appeared from the distance. They rolled softer because they had yet to crest on the raising sea bottom and then break – but their current here was still pretty strong.

_"Uh oh_,_"_ it occurred to her that she had perhaps underestimated hers kills. But it was too late to get back and if she didn't want to end up being thrown against those sharp edged boulders, she had to move and to move quickly.

She didn't dare dive this time; she had to see exactly where she was. Forcing her body to make even more of an effort, she shot once more across the wave, this time cutting right through its very crest. And it worked! She felt the wide stream of water splashing over her at first but then, as she her body pierced through, it also turned to the left and began somehow sliding down the wave, in the exact direction she needed to go. Of course she was now alarmingly close to the rocks, one more push of the ocean and she was within hands reach of the dark, uneven surface – but luckily for her, it happened when she was between the waves and the impact was minimal. She immediately began dragging herself along the stony wall towards its end, holding onto any holes or pointy edges her fingertips could find. Another wave caught her when she was almost there and she was close to panic when the current pressed her against the rocks. But just like earlier, it only lasted for a few short seconds and then, she was free again to move. And she didn't waste a precious second, now hurrying even more to get to the edge before another wave reached her. Six more feet... three... a little more... the edge was within reach...! With her heart pounding fast, she sprung forward. And just in time! There she was, on the other side, riding on the wave towards the beach! Here – if she had succeeded in sneaking pass unnoticed by the far end of the rocks – she was "safe", hidden away and invisible from the place where Albert must have been standing right now.

The effort of fighting with the current didn't leave her unaffected; she was now panting heavily and she had to let the waves do all the job of getting her to dry land. It didn't take long; soon, she was so near the beach that her knees were scraping against the sandy bottom. But as she tried to stand up, she could feel how her legs were giving way underneath her. For the last remaining ten feet, she crawled on her hands and knees and she almost laughed at the mental image of herself in such a ridiculous pose.

She allowed herself a few seconds of rest and when she was sure that her legs had regained enough strength to carry her, she stood up and climbed up onto the rocky peninsula. She was really curious now to see if she achieved what she had set out to do. Bent over, low above the ground, she sneaked up between the bushes and their drying blankets and then once more went down on her knees, crawling through the grass in order to avoid detection. Only when she had reached the other side, she lifted her head up carefully. A victorious smile stretched across her lips.

She _did _succeed, that was for sure. Albert definitely hadn't seen her escapade; otherwise, he wouldn't still be standing among the waves, jumping as high as he could to see what was beyond them and then, glancing to both sides nervously.

"Candy!" his loud shout came to her from between the waves, "Candy, where are you?"

Once more, she smiled to herself. He really had no clue to where she had gone! And even looking in her direction, he didn't seem to notice her at all as she was well hidden behind the ledge of rock. She saw him clearly enough but he couldn't see her…

The chance of teasing him just a bit more was just there, begging her to be used. And she gladly gave in to the temptation.

"Yoohoo, sailor!" she cajoled out in the sweetest of voices that she could muster up.

He had definitely heard her because he turned rapidly around. But it was clear that he still hadn't notice her; his eyes were scanning the surface of the water without once looking back at the rocks. But then, he hadn't expected her to be _behind _him...

Almost choking from restrained laughter, she waited until another wave came by. She knew how it could confuse one's hearing when it broke and this was exactly what she wanted. When it finally happened, she called out again.

"I'm here!"

Once more Albert looked around, confused as ever.

Taking full advantage of the moment when he briefly looked away, she got up and quickly sat on the edge of the boulder. Just in time too; no sooner had she sat down, Albert turned around and he was finally looking in the direction of the rocks. And this time, he noticed her. Even from so far away, she could see surprise had painted itself all over his face. Grinning, she raised her hand and waved at him with just her fingers. He simply dove into the waves, disappearing from her sight. He showed up again several seconds later, resurfacing nearly in front of her.

"Hello there, slow poke!" she chirped as he swam closer.

"I will give you a 'slow poke'!" Albert wagged his finger at her. Before she could even blink, his hand suddenly shot up and grabbed her dangling leg. "Get down here, you wild thing!"

Giggling, she let him pull her off from the boulder.

"You scared me for a bit, you know? You had disappeared for so long that I was beginning to think that something had happened to you..." Albert scolded her half seriously and then went silent for a moment as a wave hit them from the side, splashing foam in their faces. "I was sure that you had swum too far and into the open sea," he continued, "- and yet, here you are, almost back on the beach! How did you manage to get behind without me seeing you? I saw you diving. Did you stay underwater all that time? I had no idea you could do that for so long!"

"But I didn't!" Candy shook her head with a smile on her face and when Albert looked at her with mild puzzlement, she explained to him what had transpired.

Within an instant, he stopped smiling. "Now,_ that_ wasn't very wise, Candy!" he scolded her again, this time seriously and with concern. "You could have gotten yourself hurt."

"But I didn't! I was very careful, trust me."

"But you COULD have." He accentuated, getting even more serious. "There is no joking with the ocean, Candy; we don't know these waters well. And look how big the waves are getting! I don't think I would like to willingly go there and test it out myself."

"Oh, even much bigger waves would just be a piece of cake for you." Candy snuggled closer to her husband's wet body and when the next wave hit them, she used it as an opportunity to snuggle even closer, to keep her balance. "You..." she purred like a cat, looking up and gazing as innocently as she could into his eyes, "...can do just about anything!"

Albert didn't reply but she would have had to be blind not to notice that the compliment nicely massaged his manly ego. Precisely what she had wanted! Glad that her little trick had worked, she hid her face in the crook of his neck and began kissing his wet skin. He tasted of sea salt, sweat and himself, and she relished in this combined manly flavour. It tasted of wilderness and of adventure.

"Thank you for flattering me," Albert's loud murmur tickled into her ear, "but unfortunately, your bribery won't work. It's not me we were talking about. We were talking about..."

"...swimming together..." she cut in quickly and even quicker, kissed her way up, and up along his jaw. Then, she softly moved away just a bit, stepped to the side and looked up, trying to appear as innocent as possible. "You fancied a swim, did you not?"

Albert only raised his eyebrows at her and his gaze spoke volumes of what he actually thought of her clumsy attempt to dodge the subject. But to the contrary to what she had expected, he didn't make any more comments about it. "Yes, I did," he said instead.

She had managed to distract him, that even later on, he didn't pursue the matter any further. It didn't take much to do so, anyway. She had tempted him to join in the play by splashing water right in his face – and he, after a few seconds of bobbing up and down in the water and in shock, joined and reciprocated in kind. Later, she couldn't say for how long they had spent in the water, splashing at each other, laughing and screaming and playing in the waves. In her mind remained only the sensation of incredibility of this situation; two grownups, both naked like Adam and Eve, jumping hand in hand over the oncoming waves like a pair of frolicking kids. That – and a brief thought – what would those that who knew them have said, if they saw them like this. It was brief – because she quickly kicked that thought to the very back of her mind. That world was so very far away right now, no one could see them here and no one was ever going know about this. This crazy moment of near childish frolic was just _theirs._

However... this frolic wasn't exactly entirely childish. It started out like that and later, it _appeared _like that – but it was just all part of their game. A game in which they had started without even knowing who had initiated it. A game of seemingly open and innocent glances and gestures behind which an invitation lurked. A game of seemingly natural and perfectly innocent little touches, seemingly accidental strokes of body against body, quick snuggles and equally quick retreats. So innocent that it was, yes... and near the end of this innocent game, she was dizzy with longing and with her body trembling impatiently to be set on fire. And so was he. They spoke a thousand words about the space around them, the freedom, about the feel of the waves washing over the naked skin, and not one word openly about the real matter – yet, they knew. A thousand and one tiny little things spoke of it louder than words and by the end of the game, when they confirmed their mutual need with one openly fiery gaze and finally kissed, they also didn't need any words to confirm that. Nothing was said, no words were spoken, there was no need for words – there was only the need to feel. There was a need for hands to be everywhere and embrace everything at once. There was a need for those hands to visit all the very well known places, retracing its steps and rediscovering them once again. There was a need for more, always for more, when the touch of hands had stopped being enough. There was a need for voicing this need – and she wasn't even trying to restrain the sighs and moans that his hands kept tearing out of her throat so easily.

But there was also the need for playfulness. It didn't disappear just like that. And that's why, when the first real love words were spoken, the "I want you", growled quietly into her ear, she moved away a bit, gazed hazily up and replied with a mischievous smile to her husband expectant, little smirk.

"You may have what you want—" she agreed throatily,

The smirk on her husband's face widened just a fracture,

"...only if you can catch it!" she finished and forcing her heated, pulsing body into motion, she threw herself into the waves that rolled towards the beach.

She knew she won't get far – and it wasn't really about escaping him, not this time. It was just about the thrill of the chase – and the chase was, like she had recently discovered, something that challenged man's nature. That _he_ would give into it now, she was almost absolutely sure of – and hoped for it with her whole needy body.

And yes, there he was, already right behind her – as she kicked the water vigorously, she felt something brushing briefly over her ankle, most probably his hand. He missed this time but seconds later, as she resurfaced to get air, she felt strong fingers firmly grasping at her calf, stopping her momentarily. Somehow, she freed herself and because the water was shallow now, she stood up and started running. Although... 'running' wasn't the best word to describe her slow and clumsy movements. Her body felt so heavy...

She almost managed to make it to dry land when he finally caught up with her. Two arms wrapped themselves around her, stopping her on the spot but their momentum sent them tumbling forwards onto the wet sand. Albert fell first, taking the first impact, she, laughing, fell on top him. But almost immediately, Albert swopped their positions around, pining her to the sand with his entire weight.

"You suggested to me to catch what I wanted," he growled with a victorious smile, "so there then, I did."

"And so you did," she repeated.

Without any further words, as if steered by the same will, they reached for each other and let their impatient bodies finally join.

**O O O**

Perhaps this beach, now so raw and abandoned had, in the past, saw other love games of this kind, games played by those too who had came here seeking seclusion. Perhaps it did – but the two who were currently occupying it, well, they would never know it. Right now, they made this place solely and uniquely theirs, an ownership which was marked with deep scars on the sand and announced with a loud song full of passionate tones. The trees, the beach and the immortal ocean all stood witness to the performance of this most ancient of rituals, a dance of life and love. This ritual was joyful, bright, intense and unrestrained, like the gallop of a wild horse.

And later, when it was over, for a long time the only sounds that were heard on the beach were the swishing of the palm leaves and the sound of breaking waves. The voices of the two returned much later, when they finally stirred back to life. And even then, they were brightened by their soft, intimate laughter.

That was, until they walked back into the water again, to wash themselves.

**O O O**

"Never again!"

Albert grimaced too as he helped Candy to re-adjust her backpack. When he let his hands drop after that, he did it carefully, slowly straightening them along his sides. "Keep repeating that and I will think that you really mean the 'never' part," he said and as Candy threw him a meaningful glare, he forced himself to smile. "It'll be a pity though. Disregarding the final outcome, it was..." he smiled wider, "well, amazing. I would gladly repeat it. Wouldn't you?"

Candy only glared again.

"Alright, fine," Albert sighed theatrically. "From now on, another rule to add to ours is 'never again on the sand'."

"I'm glad that you have finally accepted that fact. Now, let's get moving or we won't get to Wailea before midnight," Candy ordered decisively.

Albert nodded. "Here, I agree even more," he added. "But are you sure you don't want me to take your backpack? The basket is much lighter," he added, this time all the teasing tones gone from his voice.

Candy firmly shook her head. "No, thank you, but no. You are already carrying much more than me. I will manage."

With that said, she turned around stiffly and resumed their walk and Albert followed.

They had been on the move for less than an hour since they left the rocky peninsula and the little pit stop they had just finished was one of many they were forced to take. They had to; their sore skin caused quite an irritable discomfort and called for more rest breaks than normal. They still couldn't comprehend and believe what had caused it at first. Who would have ever expected that the sand could do any damage at all? Well, in fact; it could, it could cut the skin pretty deeply and that, without one noticing it straight away. They were the perfect example; they had no idea what had happened until they had cheerfully jumped back into the ocean to rinse themselves. Only then, the salty water had made them aware of their scratches. The sand, as soft as it seemed, had done the job of a thousand tiny razor blades. This was why they now had to walk slower than they usually would have. With an awkwardly stiff back, each step had to be taken gingerly, as to not stretch their sore skins around their knees too much. Perhaps it wouldn't have been as bad if they could rinse the salt off their bodies more thoroughly. But there wasn't any fresh water nearby and from their drinking supplies, they could afford to spare only one bottle – and that was no way near enough for both of them. The salt that remained was gradually causing the skin to dry and contract, making even those rather superficial scratches itch and sting almost unbearably. And according to their map, they wouldn't expect to find any streams until they were virtually in Wailea.

That's why when some time later, the sky unexpectedly swelled up again with heavy clouds and began generously spraying the soil with rain, Candy almost wept with joy. Albert also breathed out a sigh of relief, grateful to all heavens above for sending such a solution to their problem. But what happened next almost made him laugh out in amusement. Candy, without caring for anything else, literally within seconds, had gotten rid of her backpack and shirt. She stood there half naked, welcoming the rain with shouts of cheer and alleviation.

"I see that shedding clothes in a blink of an eye is becoming your speciality," he playfully joked.

Candy didn't reply straight away, clearly too engulfed in the feeling of the heavy droplets pouring down her arched, visibly reddened back. Only after a moment she lifted her head and looked up at him.

"Well, it was you who wanted me to be like a real Child of Nature," she retorted, good humour and a cheerful tone now springing back in her voice once again. "Then I am; nature's gifts are there to aid me and I'm simply making use of them."

"Hey, I'm not complaining!" Albert laughed warmly and added with fondness, "I like that you like that, my little wild thing."

Then, he too also took his shirt off and gave himself fully into the miraculous soothing effects of the cool water on his skin.

The relief was significant and further travel was now made much easier.

**O O O**

It wasn't until just less than an hour later that they could really let out a breath of relief. They were soon approaching a more habited part of the island, this was most likely their destination, they could tell from the distinctive characteristic curves of the shore line. They were so sure that they didn't even have to check it on their map. Still from quite a big distance away, they could hear noises that could only have been made by humans; loud, cheerful shouts and laughter. They could be heard even through the whistling wind and the regularly rocking waves and this meant that they couldn't be very far off. And indeed, not even half a mile from the point where they had first heard the voices, after passing by another average looking sandy peninsula, Candy and Albert found themselves on a beach that was much wider than any other they had seen so far. The sand here was golden white, so bright in fact that the afternoon sun rays that reflected from it were nearly blinding. Several fishing boats of different colours, types and sizes lied on the sandy shore, some more boats were floating in a little bay at the far end of the beach. A few kids were playing nearby. However, they weren't the source of the loud cheers. Those who were causing this noise was a group of young, white men who played some sort of ball game on the sand and an equally numerous group of girls that had surrounded the make shift playing field, cheering the men on.

And behind them, from beyond the grassy dunes, several grey and reddish roofs pointed to the currently clear, blue sky.

They'd had reached their today's destination.

******O O O**


	33. PARADISE part 2

**CHAPTER ****THIRTY THREE: PARADISE part 2**

Wailea was much bigger than Kihei. While Kihei was a village, Wailea looked more like a town. The buildings here were mostly wooden but the foundations of some of them were made out of bricks, the streets were covered with cobblestones and they had proper sidewalks. The town had a constable office, a community house, a bakery, two grocery stores, a large open market, a barber shop, tool store, and even a telegraph. And from behind all those buildings, taller than anything else in this town, the slim tower of the local church peaked above, piercing the sky with its pointed, steep roof.

But it was something else that spoke clearly of that unmistakable tentacle of civilisation that had sneaked in here and decided to change this natural paradise into yet another bridgehead of the modernised world.

Tourists.

Rich white people of different ages, dressed in their best summer clothes, walking the streets as if they owned them, nonchalant in their carefree behaviour. There weren't many of them but enough to bring a lot of noise and create an unpleasant dissonance in this lovely, peaceful place.

"I can't believe it," Albert stated with a little disappointment, as they walked through the town. "I thought the more south, the less chance to meet people at all. I really expected it to be even quieter than Kihei!"

"Well, you know how people are," Candy shrugged lightly. "And this place is just too pretty to be left undiscovered."

Albert twisted his lips and then, murmured something under his nose.

"Speaking of people," Candy continued, "Is it just me? It's only been two weeks in the wild and I already feel so strange... I felt it in Kihei too, just not as strong... Even ten people, all seen at once, seem like a crowd! And that's weird because this is still nothing compared to the _real _crowds in Honolulu!"

"Now, you also know how it is!" Albert smiled knowingly. "Now you are getting the feel of how living among nature influences you."

"So, this is how you felt when you came back from Africa?"

"Oh, no," Albert shook his head. "I had felt a hundred times worse. I was away for much, much longer and in the complete middle of nowhere. When I'd finally returned to Goma, I felt completely out of place. Kind of like a Neanderthal that had been suddenly dropped into the twentieth century."

"Could it be because you perhaps _looked_ like one?" Candy offered, sniggering lightly. "You had a beard in those photographs you showed me. I can imagine how it looked like after months of not shaving... And with long hair you must have looked like a big, furry caveman..."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Albert frowned, a literal second later, a smile returned on his face. "No, I didn't look like a caveman. It just happened that in those photos I did have a beard but we did shave! You thought we would have quit shaving just like that because we lived in the jungle?"

"Wouldn't it be easier? Why try to look immaculate and elegant whilst in the middle of nowhere?"

"Elegance? It had nothing to do with making an impression on anyone. It was all about being practical. It was simply too hot to stand having long hair and a big, bushy beard. We shaved but it was about comfort, not to maintain a decent look."

Candy nodded, not even surprised by such an answer. This had Albert written all over it; a dreamer who, in chasing his crazy dreams, never stopped being very much down to earth. _I married a walking paradox,_ she smiled to herself.

"Speaking of decency," continued her paradoxical husband, "I think that with your back as it is now, we should take a break from sleeping in the wild and get a decent room. With so many tourists in town, I'm sure they must have some place for them. What do you think?"

"It's not absolutely necessary," she ensured him, "but it would be nice, of course."

"Then let's find out, where."

The town wasn't very big and after asking in one of the nearby stores, they got directions. And soon, they were standing outside a two storey building painted in light blue and crème. It was too small to be called a fully fledged hotel, but it looked pretty well equipped, including a dining area on the ground floor. Through the windows they could see glimpses of a white shirt, as the waiter moved between the tables.

It was a guest house, not too big but pretty and its warm exterior was promising a nice and comfortable stay. And the interior was just as promising.

However...

The receptionist, a thin, stiffly straightened man in his late thirties, gave them just one glance as they entered the little hall and then, his professionally curious gaze instantaneously turned into an unfriendly one.

"If you have anything to sell, go to the kitchen door," he said coldly before they could say anything.

"I'm sorry?" Albert was so surprised by the man's sentence that for a moment, he wasn't sure if he had heard him correctly. "No, we are not selling anything," he explained, approaching the reception's wooden counter. "We came here because we were told that there might still be some free rooms available for tonight."

The receptionist's eyebrow shot high up, making the look that he just gave them, contemptuous. "A room? For _you_?" he asked with a condescending tone as if he was holding a conversation with a particularly disgusting rat. "Just where do you think you are? This is a _respectable_ establishment, not a free shelter! Leave now, while I'm still in the mood to be polite with you!"

"You call yourself a polite man, you say," Albert said in a calm, nice tone. He appeared to be absolutely unaffected by the man's aloof behaviour and only a sudden and complete stillness on his usually expressive face spoke otherwise. "People enter, you dismiss them before they even have a chance to say "good afternoon" and you call that politeness? They kindly ask for a room to rent and instead of answering normally, you tell them to leave – is this your way of being polite to the guests?"

"_Guests_?" the receptionist smirk was full of disdain. "What guests? My guests follow the dress code! All I see here are a pair of filthy destitute tramps!"

"Excuse me, just what did you call us?" Candy cut in heatedly but before she got to the counter, Albert calmly but decisively held her by the arm. She heard his quiet "Leave this to me, please," and she complied, returning her upset gaze on the man in front of them.

"I see that we are being judged by our slightly dirty shirts and it doesn't seem to make a difference that we can and we _are_ willing to pay," Albert went on, "And that, by a person who thinks he can be more posh than the concierge in the best English hotels. Fine then, let's then pretend for a moment that this is the London Sheraton. I will ask one more time, _very nicely. _Are there any vacant rooms in this _establishment _that we can rent?"

He said it in a voice so suspiciously kind and melodious that Candy blinked in surprise. She couldn't understand how he could possibly keep his calm in a situation that was making her literally, boil.

And perhaps this would have been a wake-up call for the receptionist, if only he was really paying attention to Albert's words. But his pride allowed him to only notice the end of the sentence.

"Not for trash like you!" he hissed at them angrily. "Now, get out and take your sister with you!"

But if he had expected to intimidate the newcomers, he was to be disappointed.

"Thank you," Albert replied, still seemingly unfazed, "I've heard enough. We're done here. Now – I'd like to speak with the owner of this place. And be so kind as to immediately fetch me the hotel log so that I can write a nice epopee of a complaint about how my _wife_ and I were humiliated here."

Something must have finally clicked in the receptionist's mind, because his eyes widened just a fracture and his face lost all its scornful expressions. Perhaps he had finally paid attention to what was being said, perhaps it was Albert's sudden commanding voice that had made him realise his mistake. The blond man who stood proudly in front of the counter did look like some poor seasonal worker but it was now clear that he wasn't. His sudden hard gaze and the aura of authority that began emanating from him, spoke louder than his dishevelled hair and not exactly fresh clothing.

"I..." he stammered and then, stared at the odd guests in silence. But almost immediately, he regained control over himself. "I'm afraid that seeing the owner will be impossible," he informed smoothly but in his voice there was just a barely audible tremble.

"Why is that?"

"He isn't present on the island as of now. He lives in Honolulu and comes here only once a month. I was left in charge of everything so if there's anything I can do for you..."

"I'd like his business card, please."

"Sir... I don't think it's necessary to bother him with..."

"I don't think you understood." Albert looked like the embodiment of heavenly patience as he said it. But his voice, even though calm, had some imprecise tone of warning to it. "_I _decide what is necessary or what is not. And I have ways to find your employer by myself but don't test me. His business card, _if you please_," he demanded.

"I'm very sorry..." the quiver in the receptionist's voice was now obvious. "He didn't leave any here."

"Then write down his name and contact address."

The receptionist, now completely submissive, fulfilled his order.

"Now, the log."

While Albert was writing, the receptionist looked unhappy. It was clear that he was trying to get a hold of himself but it was even more apparent that the mask of indifferent calm was slipping slowly off his face. This impression deepened with each word scribbled down on the large page of the thick log book.

"Sir, I just remembered that we do-" he said in apologetic tone but Albert cut him off with one short gesture of his hand, not even for a moment stopping his pen.

Only when that was done, Albert looked up from above the open book and the men's gazes met once again. One of them was expectant; the other -

"Sir, if you would like to proceed, I have just remembered that we do indeed have some vacant rooms-" the receptionist informed in an even, obsequious voice.

For a long moment, Albert only looked at him in silence, his lips twisted slightly. "See? _Now _you're polite," he finally said. "It's curious though. When I was nice to you, you treated me like a dog. It had to take me to be condescending towards you to make you behave nice towards me. Did it really have to be this way?"

"I..." the receptionist stammered again, "My apologies, sir. I really didn't realise..."

"Then that should teach you," Albert cut him off again. "Don't judge people by appearances. Now, about the room...?"

The next day they woke up with better moods. Their room was more than fine, the hotel had pretty well equipped washrooms where they could use to take a long, skin soothing bath, the food that was sent up for them from the kitchen was well prepared – and the bed had offered a very comfortable rest. But the unpleasant welcome yesterday had left behind a bitter aftertaste, taking away much of the joy of the stay in this relatively nice place.

"Call me weird but right now I feel I would have enjoyed it more being out there, in a shelter, than in this comfortable bed..." Candy had said later that morning, in the same breath declaring her desire to continue their trip as soon as possible. Albert couldn't help but to feel surprised – though positively - by her eagerness. But as she reassured him that yes, she _was_ fine and ready, he didn't have any more reasons to delay. The decision was then made to carry on with their hike on that very same day.

But something happened later on that day that would make them change their plans. They didn't know it at the time but their stay here would be lengthened.

OOO

"Why would you go to the east side, sir, why not stay here and enjoying our beautiful town for a bit longer?" they heard from the clerk in the store where they had gone to buy some more canned foods and provisions. "There is nothing really special there and here, we have almost everything a gentleman might need on his holiday... good hotel, good restaurant, good food, lovely views, peace, good air, good water, games on the beach, card games in the community house, polo and cricket on the hills behind the hotel...

"Sound interesting," Albert politely agreed to disagree, having something utterly different in mind for his perfect retreat, "However..."

"And also women can find something for themselves here," the clerk cut in smugly, "We have a souvenir store and the jewellery store and clothing store... and even a little library in the community house..."

"...and I will do my best to visit them all," Candy cut in even quicker, surprising both men; so far she had only observed as Albert asked about the road ahead. "I have already seen the jewellery store and it does indeed promise a satisfying shopping time."

She did her best to sound nonchalant. She hated acting like that but after that scene with the receptionist, her reasoning was telling her that she could win more here by playing a rich girl.

"But sooner or later we will have to carry on and we really _want to_ head east," she quickly picked up the main subject again, smiling sweetly. She wanted to strike the iron while it was still hot, when the man had stopped talking and seemed to be listening for a change. "We would appreciate it if we could hear advice from someone who lives here and knows best."

"Well, when such a lovely lady insists for me to be her guide, helping her is my duty... and pleasure." the clerk offered, his face suddenly turning beetroot red from pride and joy. "Then, since I'm serious about duty, I feel obliged to recommend you only the safest and most comfortable road. The best way is to go by car. North, to Pukalani and there, turn east."

"Pukalani?" Albert was surprised. "But that would mean going back, this village is nearly in the middle of the island! That is a long way around. What about this other one, along the coast?"

"What other one? There is no road on the coast. The volcano slopes practically straight into the sea. That path there is good for goats, not for civilized people! Narrow, broken, rocks falling from the cliffs... Some of the field workers almost died from thirst on the way here. They swore that they will never go on it again! Very dangerous very dangerous!" the clerk furiously waved his hands in front of him from side to side. He was so flustered that his face went red again, this time, bright red. "If you must go, sir, take the road to Pukalani. It's wide, safe and good for cars. It's best if you ask in the hotel, they have an automobile for driving their guests down here and perhaps they will be able to arrange it. Ask the gentleman in the reception; I'm sure he will gladly help you."

Candy and Albert only exchanged quick, meaningful glances.

"We will think about it, thank you." Albert replied diplomatically and picked up their shopping from the counter. Candy did the same with her bag.

"And if they are too busy, please come back to me! I also have a car," seeing them ready to exit, the clerk hurried with yet another offer. "It's not as luxurious but it can manage on the road, you have my word."

"We will think about it," Albert repeated. But the man didn't seem to hear that and his broad and persistent walking advertisement accompanied them all the way to the door.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Candy asked quietly, "So, what now? I thought that we were simply going to travel along the coast..."

"Hmm," Albert frowned, "I'm not sure anymore... I need to see a map that's different from mine, to compare... But we might have to take a car, like he suggested."

"Do we really have to?" Candy questioned as they began walking down the street. "Can't we just simply walk, like so far? Just check exactly how many more miles it is to this Pukalani village and then, to Hana. We will just take a longer..."

"Miss...?"

Candy and Albert stopped, both surprised and both turned around towards the unknown voice that had interrupted them. First what they saw was a myriad of bright, eye blinding colours, which after a second look, happened to be no more no less but a long skirt and blouse. Their owner, to the contrary to the bold, screaming colours of her apparel, stood before them shyly, with an apologetically lowered head. From the basket on her hip, vegetables waved to them on the wind.

"Māhoe sorry disturb you," the woman spoke again in her soft accent that made her speech sound almost like the singing of a bird. "Māhoe no nosy... just walk and hear you talk... Sorry..."

"It's alright," Candy smiled warmly. Although the woman's rather simplified grammar was a bit confusing, it wasn't impossible to understand her point. "No need to apologize. How can we help you?"

The woman blinked a few times, as if surprised by the question and the whites of her eyes flashed brightly against the dark brown of her skin. "No, no, Māhoe need no help. Māhoe help _you. _You want go Hana?"

They confirmed that they did.

"Haleakala not for man to walk. Nothing there. No trees there, no shadow, no food, no water. Only dry grass and rocks."

Albert sighed, accepting the inevitable. "You see, Candy? We really do have no other choice. We will have to go to Pukalani by car."

Candy nodded but before she could comment, the woman spoke again. "Mister..." she inquired timidly, "why Pukalani? Piilani better!"

"Piilani?" Albert was at loss. The word didn't ring any bells with him at all. "Is it some other town?"

"No... Piilani no town," the woman shook her head. "Piilani... road to Hana."

Albert's interest piqued up again. And to his utter awe, when asked about the direction, the woman pointed towards the south. "So how many roads are actually there, two? Maybe more?" he questioned her vividly.

And the Hawaiian once more shook her head. "Only Piilani," she replied. "But Piilani good road. I go many times to my sister, Piilani good."

"You?" Candy and Albert shouted almost simultaneously, scaring the woman a bit. "You went there?" asked Albert, calmer this time. "You know this road?"

"All Maui my home," she replied with simplicity but with proudness.

"Mrs. Māhoe," Albert addressed her officially, "could you tell us more about this road? How it looks, how long it takes to Hana..."

The woman nodded.

"But Albert, let's not stand on the street! Why don't we go somewhere, where we can sit down and talk normally? How about the little restaurant in our hotel?" Candy suggested impulsively. "She can be our guest, can she not, Albert?"

She was surprised when no one agreed enthusiastically. Albert was weirdly silent and on the dark face of the Hawaiian she saw...reluctance.

"I... can't, miss." The woman said finally in a quiet voice. "Hotel... only for haole."

"For what?" Candy didn't understand. "What is... haule?"

"Haole... white. White man."

"Oh, I see. Haole. I need to remember that." Candy repeated enthusiastically, for a moment completely preoccupied with adding a new foreign word to her inner dictionary. "Wait, what?" she shook her head, returning to reality, "What did you say? 'Haole only'? Haole means white... You mean... you mean white people only?"

The woman only nodded in silence.

"You mean they wouldn't let you in... because you're _not_ white?" Candy couldn't believe it. And when the woman nodded again, she clenched her jaws in anger. "But that's outrageous! No, I'm not having any of this! You will be _our_ guest and since you're invited by us, they _**have to**_respect our wishes!"

"No, Candy..." she felt her husband's hand on her shoulder. As she looked, Albert shook his head slowly. "We shouldn't."

"What? Why? Don't tell me that you too agree to such an absurd rule!"

"No, I don't," he replied calmly. Unlike his wife, he was very well aware of the borderline that separated people of different races. She just hadn't seen enough of the world yet – but he _did. _And while he didn't like or approve the ridiculousness of racialism1, he knew what the consequences would be for anyone who would try to break those rules. And it wouldn't be for _them_ – but for this woman. They would soon leave – and she was living here.

"I just... don't think that the restaurant is the best place," he continued, trying to make it as diplomatically as he could out of this uncomfortable situation she had created. "It will be busy and full of truly nosy, ear dropping guests. We will have no privacy. And I wish to carry on with our conversation in a somewhat nicer place. So, Candy, please don't insist," he pleaded, hoping that his wife would understand his warning look. "Mrs. Māhoe," he turned to the woman, smiling as friendly as he could, "maybe you can suggest someplace where we can go?"

"I... I don't know..." the Hawaiian woman hesitated, looking helplessly around. "Maybe... When my people want to meet, they go garden next to church."

And he accepted quickly, before Candy could say another word.

The day had flown by so quickly that they only noticed it when the sun began setting. But then again, in pleasant company, time flies by much faster and what pleasant company they had too...

It was getting late as they headed back to the hotel.

Even later, whilst recollecting it, Albert kept smiling to himself. He had no doubt whose achievement it was.

The meeting with Mrs. Māhoe in the church gardens had very quickly turned from official and polite into an informal, vivid chat. While he himself never had any particular problems with interacting with others, Candy way surpassed him in that. It came just so naturally to her to get people to open up! And this was what had happened today, too. Perhaps to make up for putting the woman in an awkward situation earlier on, Candy had treated her with such open cordiality as if the Hawaiian was one of her dearest friends._ Poor Mrs. __Māhoe__,_ Albert thought with a smile. So shy and almost scared to be treated with such openness! Yet, before she knew it, she was wrapped around Candy's little finger.

And once the Hawaiian had overcome her shyness, she had answered all their questions, as best as she could. They found out a lot from her.

Firstly, the road on the coast, Piilani, as it was called, wasn't half as bad as the clerk in the store had described it. When told about Piilani being supposedly only good for goats, their new acquaintance confirmed that that was true... adding right after that it was good for ten goats to walk on side by side. After asking more questions, they understood that even a car could drive through there. Rather wide for a path.

Haleakala was sloping towards the sea, that part was true but not in such a dangerous angle as they were led to believe. They were gentle enough to a build a road on them after all. And there were some falling rocks too – but only in a few places and even without knowing them well, one needed only to keep one's eyes and ears open to see it and hear it coming.

As for those workers who had sworn never to travel on that road again – they also heard more details about that. They had arrived very, very thirsty – because they were foolish enough to take some spicy foods with them. Having had that for lunch, they became so thirsty that they drank all their water supplies in one go. And too ashamed to admit to that, they made up the whole story about the hell they had gone through.

And why had the clerk tried to convince them to go another, much longer way? That also had another story behind it. It was because every single time either his or the hotel's car had driven on the coast, they broke down. Someone once said as a joke that it must have been the curse of Haleakala and the next thing anyone knew about it, the funny gossip had become a local belief. And while both the clerk and the receptionist always openly dismissed the gossip, both had been seeking any excuse to avoid the Piilani road, which made the whole town secretly make fun of both brothers.

Yes. Because, apparently, the clerk and the receptionist were brothers.

Which, of course, explained a lot.

It was clear now why the clerk had insisted on so much for them to go back and stay in the hotel. He was simply taking care of more possible business for his brother. And he was so exceedingly polite towards them because of his brother's advice. The latter was petrified about his future after having upset his unusual guests and had simply warned the clerk. That fact was known thanks to Mrs. Māhoe's daughter, who worked as a maid in the hotel and overheard the brothers' discussion late at night as she worked in the laundry room.

But the best had come much later, a good two hours into their conversation. By that time, they had changed locations. One moment, they were still in the church's vast garden, the next – they were already on their way to Mrs. Māhoe's house. Moments prior to all of that, Albert had left both women immersed in chat, literally for a minute – and when he had returned, he was already greeted with an arranged invitation. Every time he thought about it, he cracked a smile, amused at how that had happened.

And it was in the Hawaiian's home where, once more, their plans were turned upside down. After meeting the woman's family and being introduced to their household, they had spotted a weird looking boat, deposited behind the shed. It had a very long, narrow hull and some sort of a skid attached parallel to its side. They were explained that it was a traditional, old style Hawaiian boat and the skid, looking like an outrigger, helped to keep it balanced on the wavy ocean. It now belonged to Mrs. Māhoe's sixteen year old son, Ho'okele – and it was he who, in just a few words, had caused a riot in their heads. He had, no more or no less, with all simplicity, offered to take them all the way to Hana, very easily.

To say that they were surprised would have been an understatement. The proposition had left them both with their mouths hanging open – in awe and surprise that it never even occurred to them to do it this way before – and then, their eyes sparkled from the sudden trigger of excitement. It sounded simply awesome. Of course they had questioned Mrs. Māhoe about her sons sailing skills. And the woman only smiled calmly. Here, kids learnt how to swim and sail before they had learnt how to walk, she had explained. Ho'okele's name meant sailor – he could take them around the whole island, no, around all the Hawaii islands even, if only they wished to. With understanding for their concern, she had offered Albert a quick sail with her son in the open sea. He had taken up the offer. And the ride had left him with no doubts and that the boy proved to be worthy of his name.

OOO

They spent one more day in Wailea, the morning on meandering and browsing through the town and the rest – again at Mrs. Māhoe's home, learning more about Hawaiian customs and traditions. And on the following day, before dawn had announced the waking day, they set sail.

And there they were, on the open ocean, cruising with the early morning breeze towards the neighbouring island. Yes, because the changes to their plans had also included a change of direction. _"Why ever not? Not everything has to be always perfectly planned. Let's be free like the wind!" _Albert had been full of enthusiasm while convincing Candy.

And so here they were, free like the wind.

It wasn't hard to feel this way – not with so much open space around, not with the salty spray of sea mist on their faces as Ho'okele's boat firmly cut through the waves, not with the gusts of warm breeze that blew into their shirts and puffed it out like sails. Before they had covered half of the distance between the islands, they were both completely giddy with the oceanic air.

And of course for Candy it wasn't enough to just simply sit in her seat, even if she occupied the most premium one, at the bow. After checking that it would hold her, she moved onto a strong net which Ho'okele stretched between the hull and the outrigger. Only there, lying flat just merely two feet above the water, she began enjoying it in full. "This is awesooome!" she shouted merrily. "I am loving this sooo much!"

And she kept voicing her enthusiasm – until the boat sliced through a huge wave and the water strongly splashed right into her face. Silenced in mid word, with her upped half completely wet, she looked so comical that Albert couldn't contain his laughter any longer.

"I see you are really enjoying being a wet chicken," he mocked, to which despite still coughing and snorting, Candy replied with a funny glare. "Come, my lovely chicken, get back inside, you will dry in no time."

"No way!" Candy firmly shook her head, once she coughed out all the salty water. "I'm wet but I still love it here!"

And she indeed stayed there for another couple of miles. Only when they approached the north coast of Big Island, she returned to the hull to be able to admire the views freely.

From afar, the island looked like a wide but relatively flat green hill which slopes rolled gently towards the ocean and slipped into the water in a shape of a flat, easily accessible shore. However, at close proximity one would realise that it was just an illusion, created by the fact that the grass covered the land all the way to the very edge – which rose straight up from sea level, for about twenty feet. Between the blueness of the water and the greenness of the coastal grass, this virtual vertical drop looked like a thin, reddish brown scar that stretched all along the face of the north coast. And the further south, the wider this gap was becoming. The relatively flat lands beyond the cliffs quickly turned into lowlands, wrinkled with small hills, the even greenness of the grass was patched up with a variety of colours of low growing vegetation and the sparsely scattered beaches turned from pebble into rocky.

Only a few times did they see traces of human life along the coast and the biggest one was the city of Captain Cook, in Kealakekua Bay. They stopped off there to rest through the hottest hours of the day and of course, to visit the Monument, marking the place of death of this famous explorer2. And it was, as they realised later, that was the last stop where they saw any type of civilisation. Down south from Kealakekua Bay, there were no more human settlements, not even one remote object that could have been made by human hands had come into view. The shore was vividly green and it seemed to be just waiting to be inhabited – but the only things alive around there were birds, floating lightly above the alternating dark beaches and the narrow strips of dense jungle. It looked as if a giant had raked the land.

"Long time ago, my people believed that this land is home of Pele, the goddess of fire. And no one should come too close. She would get angry and poison you with her breath or spit fire on you," Ho'okele explained when Albert inquired about the area.

"And you believe in that too?" Candy wanted to know.

"I can see her poison," Ho'okele shrugged with a broad smile and pointed to the ashy grey clouds that bellowed out of the volcano's peak. "And where the fire was flowing," he added, showing them long, black areas with no plants that appeared here and there across the entire shore.

"That's... lava." Albert was the first to recognise what it was. Long, long ago he had read something briefly about volcanoes and now he tried to recall the half forgotten pieces of this knowledge. "That's old, hardened lava, isn't it?"

"This is how you, haole, call it," the young Hawaiian replied. "For us, it's '_a'ā. _And you never know when and where it will flow. You build a house here, you are okay for one moon, or year, or two, or even five. And then, one more day and Mauna Loa swallows it. Like here, four years ago. And there," he pointed ahead, "'_A'ā _burned when I was born.3

In both cases the lava fields looked like something not of this world, strange and scary. They resembled massive onyx grey rivers that poured down the volcano's slopes and froze on their way towards the ocean. This solidified testimony of nature's powerful display was impressive enough – and they could only guess at what it might have looked like a hundred times more terrifying while ongoing. That, however, didn't paint a very clear picture; having no experience with any volcanic activity at all, neither Candy nor Albert could imagine it accurately.

Little did they know that the answer to their pondering lay literally around the corner.

As they sailed around the south west part of the island, another view began unfolding before their eyes. And it was a view so spectacular that it held them with their mouths agape.

"Dear Lord!" Candy was so shocked at the sight before her that she stood up in her seat. The boat, despite having the stabilising outrigger, wobbled under this movement but instead of sitting back down, she only blindly reached out to hold onto the mast behind her. "Albert... what is that?"

"This... I..." Albert stammered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it was telling him what they were looking at, but at the same time he had a problem gathering his thoughts and voicing them. The immense awe of the scene before them, frightening and yet with the grandness of it all, had literally taken his breath away.

"That's lava. Flowing lava. Ho'okele..." he said a second or two later as he turned in his seat, "Is it?"

"Yes," the young Hawaiian nodded. He was the only one who had kept his calm. It was clear that the view wasn't new to him. "It's '_a'ā, _the fire of goddess Pele. She melts trees, rocks... everything."

"Even rocks?" Candy couldn't believe it. "Albert..." she whispered as she finally sat back in her seat, "that is so scary..."

Albert said nothing – only his hand reached out for hers and squeezed it tightly.

Never before in their lives had both of them seen anything like this. Clouds had made the late afternoon darker and in this greyish indigo air, that alone was a sight to behold but the view before them made an even greater impression. To their left, the coast looked like it was carpeted with liquid fire. It looked as if someone had gone around and liberally poured hot, bubbling fiery golden orange treacle all over the place, covering everything in sight. As they got closer, they could pick out more and more details. The carpet of fire was the thickest and brightest at the top, where the source of the magma must have come from. As the lava flowed away from it, some gradually darkened, resembling the ashes in the center of a hot campfire. Split into separate wide streaks of varying shades of golds, oranges and reds, it spread outwards like a red behemotic spider web. Those streaks crept slowly down the shallow slope of the volcano, towards the edge of the cliff where they cascaded down. Some dripped onto the narrow beach, creating small, fiery pools with black edges, some plopped straight into the ocean. The spots where the lava and water met were impossible to see at first, for they were hidden from view by huge clouds of steam rising up towards the now darkened sky. And even that steam looked terrifying; thick, heavy and lit up from the inside by an eerily orange glow.

And then as they got even closer still, there were also the loud sounds. So far, the only noise they were surrounded by was the flapping of the wind in their sail and the regular rhythmic splashing of the waves against the hull. Now, added to that, a loud hissing had joined in. It was coming from wherever the two gigantic elements met and it was loud and piercing. And through all that, from the top of the cliffs, crackles were heard, similar to the ones in a campfire but only much louder and more ominous.

All this was so astonishing that for a long, long time they said nothing. They only stared in silence, with their faces bathed with hues of red, then brightly lit in orange, finally, warmed up by the heat that emanated from the shore. As they turned a small peninsula, a fiery curtain of lava flowed down a ledge as would a waterfall. Only this golden red 'waterfall' had lit up the whole wall with fire as far as the eye could see. As they looked up, it took Albert a few seconds to estimate the top of the fall to be around twenty five feet high. This bewitching sight was merciless in its onslaught to keep the pair speechless.

The boat floated softly on the waves, still moving forward but much slower than it did before. Ho'okele was now manoeuvring it with a single paddle instead of using the sail, like he had done so far; they didn't even notice when he took down the sail. All their focus, all their attention, was turned to the wall of bright liquid fire before them. It never stayed the same, changing shapes and sizes, streaks merging with each other, separating again, stretching, snapping and ending their journey in a short flight down towards the ocean's surface. The mesmerising sights never remained constant and the only constant was the mesmerising sights.

These spectacular views stretched for a couple of miles along the shore and then, just as suddenly as the whole breathtaking show had started, just as suddenly, it had ended. The farthest eastern edge of this land of fire, its threshold of the pits of hell looked as if someone had cut it cleanly with a knife. One moment, they were staring at the blackness and blazing redness of hell's fringe, the next – their eyes were greeted with the rich and vivid green of a coastal paradise. Only then did they slowly break out of their trance and looked at each other.

"Oh dear..." Candy began in a slightly quivering voice. "It was so..."

"Unbelievable?" Albert offered when she hesitated.

Candy nodded. "Yes! Unbelievable! And... and... and frightening!" she exclaimed excitedly. "So much fire! And how bright! And so hot and we weren't even that close! How scary is that? I don't want to even think about how hot it must be standing right next to it – or being inside the volcano itself!"

Albert smiled at his wife's suddenly recovered ability to speak. "I don't think we can even imagine such temperatures. It must be impossibly hot though. So destructive! Still," he carried on, "There is something beautiful about it."

"Beautiful?" Candy repeated the word with amazement. "You call destruction _beautiful_?"

"No, not the destructive part. Just the visuals. The contrasts, the intensity! It's terrifying beauty but beauty nevertheless."

Still commenting and exchanging their experiences, they helped Ho'okele set sail again. The boat, almost like a racing horse awaiting a command, immediately picked up speed.

"No one is going to believe us back home," Candy summed up with regret. "I wish we had your camera with us..."

"So do I," Albert agreed. "But it was too big to carry. Unfortunately."

With the evening now approaching quickly, it was high time to seek refuge for the night. Ho'okele sailed a little further east and without any hesitation picked a spot. And there, they understood how much different it was setting up camp with a person who lived here and knew the grounds. The boat landed on the grey sandy beach smoothly, by the time they took their belongings out of the boat, the first bunch of wood for the campfire had been gathered. Within a blink of an eye the fire had been lit and before they could even blink a second time, Ho'okele was already fully busy with making the shelter. For that, he shot up the nearest palm tree from where soon enough, long leaved branches began falling onto the ground, chopped off cleanly by his small machete.

Albert didn't even hide his esteem for the boy's agility – and he was surprised to see Candy making her angry monkey face. "Did you see that, Albert? He climbed faster than I ever did! He is faster than me at climbing trees!" she complained childishly and when he believed his ears, he almost choked on repressed laughter. "Someone _has _actually beatenmeat climbing trees!"

OOO

The night that followed had a flavour of fish baked in palm leaves, roasted pineapple, ohelo berries and lychees and coconut juice sipped along with stories shared around the campfire. And the next morning, right after an early breakfast, they were on their way again.

"Wind is weak today, we have to paddle. We have to leave early if you want to be in Hana before sunset," Ho'okele had told them prior to that.

And he was right. On Big Island's eastern side, the ocean was very calm, with waves barely wrinkling its surface. The plus side of it was that the boat, propelled forward by three paddles, slid on the surface like a well waxed winter sled. But even with all three of them paddling, they were still moving slower than usual; by noon they had only managed to reach Hilo.

There, they stopped for a very short break and a quick meal. And it became apparent what fresh air and physical effort could do to a human's appetite. Their food, prepared in a rather reasonable quantity during breakfast, the last bit had now disappeared. They had to venture into the jungle, where Ho'okele, once more, proved to be an amazing guide, finding edible fruits in the most impossible of places. Following his directions, they quickly filled the basket, this time to the brim. Once this was done and they had enough food, they grabbed their paddles again.

They had travelled a couple of more miles up north when their boat attracted some attention. Attention of a different kind other than people on the coast. Ho'okele was, of course, the first to spot the unusual audience. "Look, Nai`a came. Good sign."

Nai`a, as he explained a moment later, was a dolphin. Or actually, _dolphins_, for with each passing minute, more and more dorsal fins appeared on the surface nearby. Those lovely animals didn't seem to be scared by the boat's or the humans' presence, to the contrary; they played with each other and jumped out of the water in graceful arches, as if showing off to anyone who was interested in watching them. And then, one of them, made a screeching, high pitched sound and the whole pod took off with an amazing speed.

"Wow," Candy was impressed. "I wish we could hitch them together like horses and direct them towards Maui. We would have been there in no time!"

Both Albert and Ho'okele were amused by her imaginary prospect.

"Dolphins pulling a boat like a horse carriage?" Albert laughed honestly. "You and your ideas!"

"Don't worry, miss. We say that if dolphins show up, it's a good sign. They bring good wind."

And whether it was just a local proverb or the boy simply predicted the change in the weather, it didn't matter. What mattered was that, as they were crossing the few miles between Big Island and Maui, the wind picked up, bringing some relief to their tired arms. Sailing wasn't as fast as it had been on the previous day but they were moving forward nevertheless.

And when they finally arrived in Hana, a surprise was waiting for them. On the brown sandy beach of Hana Bay stood a large group of adults and children, all waving and shouting joyously. The mystery was quickly solved when Ho'okele called out to one of the women. It was, as he quickly explained, his aunt, his mother's sister. Apparently, Ho'okele's unique sail had been spotted out in the open ocean and she had come with her whole family to greet her nephew.

And what a greeting it was too! Many hands reached out for the boat, pulling it smartly out of the water with ease whilst others immediately took care of the paddles and sail. And all three of them were literally snatched away, along with their luggage, and taken to the woman's house, where they were all served with a very refreshing guanabana juice. For the rest of the evening they didn't have to do anything but sit back, eat, drink and rest. With a meal they could safely call a heavenly feast and the heart-warming hospitality, they felt treated like special guests.

And this feeling continued for another two days. They gladly accepted Ho'okele's aunt's offer to stay at her home and during those two days she overdid herself as their host, treating them with the best of everything that her home could offer. Her children also got involved in playing host – they were to be their guide around town and the surrounding areas. And they played at being guides very well. They took Candy and Albert to the places so breathtakingly beautiful, so picturesque that they had them nearly in tears from awe – and from disappointment, for not taking their camera with them after all.

Two days of such treatment and they felt absolutely spoilt to bits. A few more days and they would have stayed here forever, enchanted by the beauty, Candy could swear on that.

"Who cares about mansions," she joked along, "if you could live in paradise forever!"

Their hosts not only hosted them wonderfully – they also had a hand in organising their transport along the north coast. Ho'okele's uncle, after his rest day, was about to return to his work at the pineapple fields – and if they so wished, they could join him and the other workers on their ride. They wished to. And they did. On the third day, they left, taking with them lots of fond memories, lots of food prepared by Ho'okele's aunt, two mats that were weaved especially for them – and a small machete with a beautifully hand carved handle, which Ho'okele helped them find at the local mini market.

OOO

The ride allowed them to see more in a much shorter time than if they had done so by walking. Sitting down as they enjoyed the scenery as it went by was an added bonus. They had even given up trying to decide which of all the sights they had seen was the most stunning or the most impressive. The whole island was a paradise incarnated, period. Almost everything here begged to be either photographed or to be painted, whether it was the golden sunrise through a fog seen from the top of a cliff, an intensively red beach flooded by the equally vivid turquoise waves or the jungle itself. There was something amazing at every turn, every corner.

Somewhere on the north coast, this one and only road split into two and this was where they parted ways. The Ford, full of workers, was to turn left and head for the fields while they were to carry on up the road along the shore.

The farewell was short but very warm. "And remember what we told you about local floodings!" Ho'okele's uncle reminded them with other piece of advice. Then he waved and smiled, his co-workers, all Filipinos, bade their goodbyes by shouting, "paalam!" – then the car drove off, leaving Candy and Albert standing in a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, the Ford was just a speck in the distance,

But they didn't mind being left alone, just to themselves. So far, they had travelled precisely just like that, just the two of them – and they happened to match each other as partners. Besides, the loneliness among the coastal jungle didn't seem as vast, since there was always something to talk about. There were just too many exciting things around to wonder, too many exotic plants to comment on. And Candy was never the one to be quiet while seeing something new and amazing. Even rain was exciting.

"Can you believe that, Albert? We are walking in the rain, in a _rain_ forest!" her joy seemed to have no end. "It feels like we are the only two people left on the planet! Oh, I can't wait to tell Patty and Annie about this!"

"You're dying to see your friends, you say? Ah, I see. Did perhaps a certain husband become so boring that you can't bear to be alone with him?" Albert teased, earning himself a little nudge.

The said rain forest was filled with many different sounds, from animals calls to bird calls– but there was one that seemed out of place. It sounded like the splashing of waves and here, here it was way too far to hear the constant hum of the ocean. The further they ventured into the jungle, the clearer and louder the sound became.

The puzzle was soon solved. The road became wider, the forest less dense – and suddenly, they found themselves on a long, stony bridge, spanning itself across above a fairly deep, v-shape valley. At the bottom flowed a narrow stream. But while it flowed quite vividly, even cascading over several small rapids, there was no way that it could have made that noise. No – the real source of that noise was about a hundred feet down the stream. There, the water seemed to end abruptly and disappear into nothingness. With the sound coming from that direction and a white mist shielding the view, it could have meant only one thing. They didn't hesitate to go and check it out. They headed down a very steep, narrow path and once at the bottom of the valley, they followed the stream further down. What they had discovered was indeed, a waterfall.

Another quick glance at the lower part of valley below the waterfall and Candy had no doubts. "Can we stay here?" she begged. "I'm a little tired, to be honest. Besides, think! A camp next to a waterfall!"

Albert also quickly gave into the charms of the place. Minutes later, they were already busy with their respective tasks.

While gathering wood for the fire, Candy went further up the stream. And there, on one of the walls of the valley, she spotted a big hole within the lush greenery that had grown all over the slope. Led by curiosity, she climbed there to check it out; what looked like a niche was in fact a little cave. It was big enough to even stand inside and she wondered if they could use this as a place to stay overnight.

But after careful thought and thorough checking, Albert dispersed the idea. "It's solid rock so it's safe, no danger of caving in. And big enough," he admitted. "But there are drawbacks, too. The floor is too uneven to sleep comfortably. And not only that! Touch it! It's moist and cold, just like the walls. It's already much cooler in here than outside and it will only get worse. There is no space for making a fire, neither inside nor the outside. We stay here and we will wake up stiff from the cold. No, honey, I think it's better if we just stick to a normal shelter."

Trusting his judgment, she didn't insist anymore and they returned to their original plan.

The usual work was enough to keep them fully busy for awhile but as she walked around, Candy couldn't help herself but keep glancing at her husband when he was within her sight. Testing his new machete, which he'd been so eager to use since he had bought it, must have been satisfying because he worked quickly, swiftly and through the constant splashing of the waterfall, she could hear fragments of some of the jolly tunes he was whistling out. The way he moved around, the way he worked – everything spoke about the massive energy within him. It was a nice view.

To the contrary, she was beginning to feel more and more tired. _"This is what three days of getting spoilt does," _she smiled to herself, thinking about Ho'okele's aunt. _"Now just doing a little bit of work and I'm tired. Get a hold of yourself, lazy!"_

But scolding herself didn't help much and by the time she started building the fire, she felt so groggy that she couldn't focus on the job. She felt like every movement was taking her forever to do, and she had managed to waste a whole box of matches before the fire had finally sparked to life. And even then, she sat for many a long minute, just staring at the crackling fire, waiting for it to get brighter and hotter.

How pointless this waiting was she realised, when she felt her arms being softly embraced. The touch somehow had woken her up, pushing her eyes wide open.

There was no sound of a crackling fire in front of her, there was no fire; the pile of wood sat there, still unlit and the box clutched tightly in her hand, still full of unused matches.

"You dozed off when you were sitting" Albert's voice was full of concern. "You said you were tired but I had no idea how much."

"It's nothing, don't worry," she smiled sleepily. "I just need to get a hold of myself. I will start the fire, don't worry..."

"Why don't you go and have a little rest instead, eh? Leave the fire to me, I will take care of it."

"I don't want to leave all the work for you... It's not fair..."

But Albert didn't want to listen to any of her meek protests. "In case you had forgotten, I lived for several months in Africa, depending only on myself and I loved every bit of it," he reminded her. "I will manage just fine here, don't worry. Now, shoo, go for a nap. You need it."

"Are you sure...?"

"Shoo!" he repeated.

She didn't have the strength to argue with him. Before walking away to get her blanket, she leaned softly into his embrace. "Ay ay, Captain," she murmured. "Don't let me sleep for too long though."

Moments later as she laid on the mat, covered with the blanket, she kept watching her husband from under half closed eyelids. He worked with the same amount of energy as before, still whistling joyfully. He had been like that, she realised suddenly, from the very moment they had began their trip. She had seen him cheerful and spontaneous in Chicago but it wasn't the same. Here, she knew Albert whom no one in Chicago knew, even herself. He wasn't only full of temporary joy around here – he was full of _life._

And by now she had no doubts why he was so.

He belonged here.

Yes.

That he had a soul of a traveller, she had known this from since a long time ago but she had never felt it with such a fierce certainty. Fate had moulded him to be a businessman and she knew that even though he did feel satisfaction with every successfully wrapped deal – it wasn't something that made his soul sing. Here, she had been listening to his song every single day. _This_ was the life he was made for.

He belonged here.

That was her last thought before she drifted off into a deep slumber.

When she woke up, she felt much better, although it took her a few seconds to fully shake off the post-nap confusion. She felt like she had slept for ages but it couldn't have been that long, the day was still far to be over soon. Still, it was long enough for the shelter to be completed. It stood several feet away from her, its entrance facing the camp fire. The crackling of wood on flames was, besides the constant splashing of the waterfall, the only sound in the clearing. She was alone.

"_He probably went to get some more fruits," _she thought. _"I should do the same."_

Before going nearby to search, she decided to refresh herself quickly, or at least wash her face. The pool below the waterfall drew her in like a magnet.

And there, she stopped before she even bent over the shimmering surface. At the sight before her, any post-nap dizziness soon evaporated quickly.

"Oh my..."she whispered involuntarily.

Albert didn't go for a fruit hunt. He didn't actually go anywhere... far.

He had had an idea similar to hers. A few boulders had shielded the side of the waterfall and that's why she couldn't see anything from the shelter but from where she stood now, nothing covered the view.

The late afternoon sun rays danced on his tanned skin, making him look like a golden statue of a leisurely stretching Greek god. But statues don't bathe in waterfalls. They don't move. Their hands don't run through their hair. Their stony faces have no expression of pleasure as they let the refreshing water wash over their bodies. Their skin doesn't glisten so... deliciously under the lowering sun.

She watched, almost unable to blink, as her husband enjoyed his tropical shower. She couldn't decide whether or not that she should feel ashamed for seeing such a view... or rather simply enjoy it a little too much.

"_Shame on you. Peeping is peeping, even if it is your own husband..." _she scolded herself. But nevertheless, she was still unable to avert her gaze.

She stood there, transfixed, long enough for Albert to finally notice her. He stepped out of the water's reach and pushed his hair to the back of his head, to see her better.

"I see someone feels better," he called out with a mesmerising smile, "Care to join me?"

Before she could think properly, her hands were already busy with taking off her clothes.

Albert watched her too, her every move; and she saw this. She saw his facial expressions changing slowly, eyes narrowing just a fraction, focusing solely on her hands as she started to unbutton her shirt.

To her shock, she found her body responding to his gaze. She couldn't mistake this feeling for anything else; she felt light headed, weirdly warm, lazy and yet, excited.

"_What is the matter with me?"_ she thought. "_He hasn't even touched me yet and I..." _

And then, she knew.

"_**I**__ want him."_

The rest was just details.

Slowly, making sure that he was still watching, she finished off with her clothes. And then, after discarding them all on the grass, she stepped into the pool. The water, after being exposed all day to the burning sun, was warm and that made her feel even more lazy. Swinging her hips softly, she walked on the pebbled bottom, brushing her fingers along the surface when the water covered her thighs.

Albert's hands reached out for her the moment she neared him. She let him pull her slowly into his embrace, not doing anything to stop his wandering hands. But as he bowed his head to find her lips, she turned her face, avoiding the kiss.

"Would you wash my hair?" she requested instead.

She ignored his surprised look. It was quite clear that they both wanted the same thing and they both knew, without doubt, how this evening was going to end for the both of them. But while she was far from stopping it, she wasn't going to rush into it either. If she let him kiss her now, everything would have ended in minutes – and she wanted to squeeze every magical moment for what it was worth, relish every second.

Because details mattered.

"Please?" she begged softly.

She wasn't sure if he understood her real aims but he did as she had asked. He pulled her with him under one of the thinnest streaks and as the water washed over her body, she felt his fingers slipping into her hair. With a sigh, she gave into the sensations of her scalp being massaged by both water and his hands.

Several moments of such treatment and she had started to have little doubts as to whether this was a good way to delay things after all. Just when did she slide into his embrace again? Just how did her body start to rub itself against his as if she was a cat? And at what point did her hands slid behind her, to touch his hips? How this had all happened was somehow beyond her – she was brought back to awareness as she felt Albert's hands clenching tighter onto her locks and then pull.

But she didn't cease the caress. With cheeks burning, she let her hands wander wherever they could reach, brushing over his skin softly, teasing him so agonizingly slowly, just in a way she knew he couldn't take for much longer... She wasn't left without a reply. Albert's hands that had just a moment ago been tangled within her hair, quickly slid down, wrapping tightly around her body. He held her so closely that her hands became trapped between their bodies.

However, her fingers still could move.

"You will be the death of me," he groaned straight into her ear. "Keep doing what you're doing and I will take you right here, right now."

She couldn't see any reasons to fight this.

It took all she had to retrieve her hands.

Because she still wanted to take it slowly and relish in every delicious moment.

Did she, really? With every move of Albert's hands, now roaming all over her body, she was losing this certainty. And when one of his hands travelled down, swiftly reaching for her womanhood, she suddenly forgot what she was thinking about altogether. Any attempt to focus when he was touching her was fruitless... and unnecessary. She didn't want to think. She wanted to feel. More. And more. And then, some more...

And he was giving her just that. His fingers knew no hesitation, no restraint, no doubts. They knew how to rob her off her breath and make her legs wobble like jelly. There was some gentleness to his caress – but mostly, it was just an impatient touch of a clearly impatient man. It felt as if he had suddenly become oblivious to anything else but her, fiercely and solely focused on her body and making it crave for him. Little did he know, she already had, before he had even touched her...

Unable to stop herself, she moaned. Albert never failed to make her blood boil, but so quickly... Her own eagerness was shocking to her. It was making her so wild that she felt that she was on the brink of openly begging him to simply hurry it up. In the privacy of her mind, she immediately announced herself the most indecent, shameless woman under the sun but the thought fluttered away the same moment it was born. She just didn't care right now. She wanted him, now – and she didn't think he would protest at all.

She wanted to tell him. But she didn't get the chance. As she let her head fall back, onto his shoulder, almost immediately she felt her husband's lips cover hers. The kiss was slow but strong, telling a lot about their hardly restrained want. She wasn't going to stop him. Not today.

Not able to use the power of speech, she used the power of her hands.

The reply to her touch came faster than she had expected. Albert tensed and then she felt his body tremble slightly. And then, he broke the kiss.

"That's it, I warned you."

"I know," she replied with a lazy smile.

That he was impatient, she knew. But she underestimated how much. One second, she was standing pretty firmly on the pebbled bottom of the pool, the next, she was hauled up out of the water and carried straight into the waterfall's thickest stream. And there, before she could recover from the shock of being splashed with so much water at once, she was sat down onto something and firmly pressed up against the wall. Before she had even managed to open her eyes, Albert's hands and lips were already back on her body, once more taking in his possession what had already surrendered to his touch. And it was a touch that had her wriggling shamelessly against his hands. So focused on this touch, that she only vaguely noticed when he finally parted her legs and slid himself in between her.

"Come to me, my Hawaiian Dryad."

Without a second of hesitation, she wrapped her hands around his neck and her legs around his back, closing the gap between them and letting him conquer her.

"I love it when you are so eager."

"Huh? Uhm..."

Albert only sniggered quietly, his body already setting the pace.

There was something hypnagogic in making love in this place. The rocks here formed a shallow, tall niche and the water, falling, created a shimmering curtain that separated the niche from the rest of the world. It felt as if everything outside of their own little bubble had simply stopped existing. In the tiny universe behind the waterfall, only two beings existed, with the rocks and water as the only witnesses to their passion. And when the peak of it came, they screamed it out without any restraints. There was no one around to hear and the rocks and water didn't judge.

And when it was over, the rocks even offered support for their trembling bodies.

"How are you doing this?" Albert groaned, his face resting on her shoulder. "What is it about you that makes me forget about the whole world?"

"I could ask you the same thing" she replied with a breathless whisper.

And it was true. Within his arms, she had always felt as if time itself was holding its breath. It was a mystery she never found the answer to... and she didn't want to anymore. Some mysteries tasted better when unanswered.

For a few moments they remained cuddled together, their bodies merged so closely that they really seemed one. The tension was going away slowly, replaced by growing tiredness. And then, finally came the moment when Albert wasn't able to hold her up any longer. They separated.

"Don't think that it's over," he promised her. "Now I'm a little tired but we have a long night ahead."

After such words, who wouldn't want for the night to fall faster than usual?

And the darkness did come earlier. Only not exactly how they had expected it.

Sometime soon after they had already cleaned up after their supper, the sky darkened. But it wasn't the sunset. It was clouds, dark and heavy with rain.

"That's the second time today," Albert noted when it started drizzling. "But then again, they did warn us. It's called a 'rain forest' for a reason.

However, the light drizzle of this rain didn't stop like the one in the afternoon. Instead, it thickened. The sound of raindrops gradually got louder as they fell onto the leaves of the trees, finally turning into a full shower that forced them to make a hasty retreat to their shelter. From there, they sat and watched as the heavy rain gradually reduced the flames of their campfire to a flickering of ashes. Even if it stopped raining soon, there was no point in making another fire so late. It was clear that the only reasonable decision was to call it a night. And unfortunately, it wasn't a friendly night for lovers. The air quickly became cold and the only thing that it encouraged was for the two of them to hide deeper under their blanket.

"Later then," Albert joked, just like her trying to cover up his disappointment with humour. "We have the rest of our lives for that."

Luckily for them, the shelter was dry. Checking every now and then for any leaks, they made sure that the weaved, palm leaves held tightly, never letting a single drop inside. It was going to be just a normal night in a rain.

OOO

It was long after midnight when Albert shook Candy's arm.

"Whaaat," awoken suddenly from the deepest of sleep, she had trouble focusing. At first, all she could see was some yellowish light and only when she had blinked a couple of times, she understood that it was the ray of Albert's torch. "What's going on?" she asked hazily.

"Get up, darling, and pack everything as quick as you can, please," he commanded her shortly and she saw him as he began to roll his blanket. "Otherwise your things will get soaked."

Candy jumped on her mat. And even still half asleep, she did the same as they both did when performing this test before going to sleep; she touched the walls of the shelter. "Soaked? How?" she asked. "The walls are dry!"

"But the floor is not. Water is leaking in _under _the walls. I've already checked outside, it's all coming from the slopes of the valley. And there will be more, a storm is approaching," Albert explained hurriedly. "Come on! I will help you pack!"

Never before had she put her boots on so fast. They both moved quickly, gathering everything in the yellowish light and she could swear that they were ready in minutes. Still, it was just barely enough to escape from the water that had already leaked inside and which was now beginning to rise slowly.

As soon as they went out, Albert briskly walked aside and in the very faint moonlight that still shone through the thickening clouds she could see him, retrieving the basket with their food from the tree branch.

"We need to move to higher ground," he said decisively as he reined in the rope on which the basket had been hung. "Water will continue to flow down and soon, you will not find one dry spot to sit on."

"But what's the difference, where? Isn't the whole forest wet after all this rain?"

"Most certainly. But anything is better than being on the _bottom_ of this valley. For now, let's get back onto the bridge, it's the nearest and perhaps the only place where we can stay out of the flowing water. Once there, we will think what to do next."

Upon hearing 'out of the flowing water', Candy remembered something. "What about that little cave?" she suggested. "So what if it's cold. At least we won't get wet when it rains again."

Albert stopped what he was doing and considered the idea. "Yes, I guess that's the best thing we have right now," he admitted finally. "But we are going to have to be extremely cautious when going up there. I bet the path is very slippery by now."

But surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as he had first feared. Both being agile, they managed to climb with no problems, only taking it slower due to the darkness. The biggest tiring factor was the air - heavy and oppressively close. They ended up a little out of breath but it was nothing they couldn't remedy once they were in.

And soon, they found out that the cave was indeed a good place to hide out from the elements. The storm, so far announcing itself with heavy air and distant, muffled rumblings of thunder, came quick and swift. Lightning bolts tore through the skies above, highlighting the forest tormented by the heavy wind and rain – and they sat huddled inside, safe and relatively dry, only just a bit cold and being regularly deafened by the loud claps of thunder as the storm moved above them.

"I'm so, so sorry, darling," Albert was full of remorse. Earlier on he didn't have time to think about anything that was beyond getting them out of the valley but now, with tension gone, it came time for the analysing. "None of this would have happened if it wasn't for my ill judgement. I can't believe I could have been so stupid! I should have predicted that situation!"

"Don't say that," Candy wasn't angry at all. "You couldn't have predicted the weather."

"Not the weather itself but how certain places will be influenced by it! After all the things I've seen, after all I've been through– and such a serious mistake in judgment! Out of all the places, I chose the bottom of the valley to make camp! I should have seen it right away and look for a better pla-."

His further words were drowned out in a rumble of thunder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Candy picked up when it quietened down. "Mistakes happen, no one is perfect. Look on the bright side. Tonight, we would have gotten wet at this place or another, no matter how well it was chosen. And you can't know that with the 'other place' you would have found a cave like the one. At least we are dry now."

"Still," Albert wasn't giving up, "I can't forgive myself for putting you into this. I really should have predicted that!"

Candy didn't want to listen anymore. "Would you stop with those silly self accusations?" she demanded. "Do you hear me complaining? No. I love it here, everything. Besides, I was the one who insisted to make camp there in the first place, so if you really must blame someone, blame me!"

"Don't be silly..."

"And the same to you," she summed up firmly. Just as if wanting to accentuate her words, Nature chose this very moment to use its thunderous voice again, thus cutting off any further disagreement.

"Now, are you done arguing with me? Good," Candy continued quickly, before Albert could say another word. "Then, mister, be as so kind to give me some light. Your missus wants to make it as comfortable as possible in here."

There was no place to lie down properly but using the folded fishing net and both sleeping mats they managed to make the furthest corner soft enough to sit down. And with their backpacks being used as cushions they could lean backwards pretty comfortably. Initially, they had sat down next to each other and cuddled. But as they began shivering, Albert proposed something. Following his idea, she sat in front of him and he cuddled up to her back. Both blankets, wrapped neatly around their bodies finished off the trick and soon, it restored their body temperature back to normal, they felt cosy even.

The violent storm continued raging for some time and finally, moved away along the coast. Only the rain had remained, longer, heavy and loud, filling the cave with a constant, dull hum. But they, tangled together in a tight warm cuddle, didn't mind that anymore. Their interrupted sleep was beginning to take its toll and once the thunder finally ceased, they began to doze off. The harmonic drumming of the rain actually began working as a melodious lullaby.

"You know," Albert said quietly, brushing his fingers over Candy's cheek. "It's an odd thing. I'm tired, not exactly comfortable, not exactly dry – and yet, I feel so weirdly happy..."

"I think I know why," Candy murmured sleepily. His delicate caress was melting her from the inside. "You belong here, that's why. All this around, this place, this life... This is what touches your soul, even this rain. This is what makes you happy. This is where you should live."

"Is that what you think?"

She confirmed firmly. "You are a vagabond and an explorer, Albert," she added.

"I do love this kind of life, yes," he admitted. "But there is something more. There is something else that makes me happy. There is something else that I would be happy to... explore. For the rest of my life."

"Africa?" she had her guess.

"Yes, Africa," to her surprise, he sniggered lightly. "_This_ Africa." And with that, one of his hands, wrapped around her, brushed over her breasts, now hidden away under a thick, woollen cardigan. "_This _is the land I want to explore. Over and over again."

"My..." she sighed as her body instinctively arched under his palm. "Me, the land?"

"Yes, you," Albert's warm breath stirred in her hair. "You are my Africa, my darling."

For a moment, Candy didn't know what to say. Albert had such a talent in saying something so touching even in joking!

"Then," she finally replied, "You will be my personal Vagabond and Explorer... I promise to be always an open and welcoming land to you..."

Turning her head, she searched for his lips and kissed them tenderly.

"I do hope so," he murmured promisingly, "because I intend to visit this land very, very often. If it was up to me, I would stay there forever. I don't need anything else."

"My," she sighed again. "Be forever a... _Vagabond_...? And that's it?"

"I'm a man, Candy..."

"And there I was, thinking that all men desire money and power before anything else..."

"Sure, of course!" Albert shared her sense of humour. "Of course I desire power, sure I do. I'm just dying to become the next President of the United States!"

"A President, you say? Now, there's a thought! I bet you would have plenty of ideas on how to change things for the better."

"Sure! The first thing I would have done would be to turn the world into a jungle, where everyone would have to work honestly, with their own hands, to earn their own living," he retorted teasingly.

"See? And you would have been the king of that jungle, and you would have ruled wisely, and the people would have loved you and praised you... And I, as your wife, would have been the queen, providing everyone with medical care in case someone gets hurt... I like it! Think about it, you, the President who changed the world..."

"Alright, alright, enough," Albert interrupted her, chuckling softly. "You'd better go to sleep now, before your imagination takes you too far. The next thing for all I know, you'll really push me to become a candidate!"

"Thanks for the suggestion. I'll contact the Senate as soon as we get back."

"Now, _really_, enough," Albert gave her a little squeeze through her cardigan and she giggled lazily. "Let's try to get some sleep, shall we? There's still a few hours left till morning."

Although already in a tight hug, they cuddled up even closer. Eyes closed, lips still stretched in a slight smile, heads heavy from tiredness, they allowed the sleep to finally take over them. It came softly, almost unnoticeably, gradually tuning them off to the surrounding world.

OOO

It wasn't a fully comfortable or uninterrupted sleep, they kept waking up sporadically throughout, but it was enough to get them through the night. When they awoke for the last time, just before dawn, they were still tired and felt the unpleasant stiffness of having been sleeping in a curled up position. But the good mood somehow remained and they were even capable of joking about how they will make up for it later on.

"We will have a great morning, you'll see!" Albert was optimistic the moment he stood at the cave's entrance. "Look at that sky! Not one cloud! Just wait for the sunrise and we will get warmed up here to the very tips of our toes! And later, when the water level drops, we will go out and find a better place to rest."

"What do you mean, 'when the water level drops?"

"Can't you hear that? The stream is much louder than yesterday," Albert beckoned her to stand by his side and indeed, she had to admit that he was right about the sound. "This is what Ho'okele's uncle had warned us about. All the water from the mountains is coming down now," he explained. "I bet the level is pretty high. Actually, I wonder if we can see it from here!"

He pulled out his torch, which he always kept in a special utility pocket on his belt, stepped outside the cave and directed the beam downwards over the edge. But the torch, having recently been used quite a bit, barely flickered to life and gave off a dim yellow glow.

"Wait, I will get mine and spare batteries for yours," Candy was already on her way to her backpack.

She rummaged between her clothes, trying to remember on which side she had tossed her torch in last night. And just as her fingers finally felt the familiar coldness of the metal, she heard a weird sound, a sort of a muffled rumbling. Crouched over her bag, with her hand manoeuvring the torch, she couldn't turn around straight away. "Honey, what was that?" she asked as she triumphantly pulled it out.

Oddly, Albert didn't reply.

"_Maybe he didn't hear me?"_ she thought.

But something told her to look out of the cave.

That very same second, she knew something was wrong.

The entrance was empty. The sky was still very dark but she _should _have been able to distinguish Albert's shadow against it. Nevertheless his flickering torch should...

"_Did he walk aside? No, surely he wouldn't have risked walking down now, he only just said..." _before she had finished her thought, she leaped towards the entrance, her thumb kicking the battery to life. The bright light lit the cave as the beam ran forwards on the floor...

She stopped at the last second.

The ground outside, where she was just about to set her foot, was gone. She should be looking at a four foot wide ledge, not at a big hole with bits of fresh, wet soil hanging from the tiny roots of the moss...

"Albert!" she screamed before her mind fully recognised what must have happened here. In a split second, she shone her torch beam sideways, finding nothing and feeling like she was in a terrifying nightmare, she directed it down and beyond the crumbling edge.

_Oh no, please, no, please... _

Then, the understanding hit her like a wave as she peered below.

The slope of the valley, once evenly covered with a thick carpet of lush greenery, was now scarred all the way down with a long, dark trail of naked ground and still sliding pebbles. To her despair, the light was strong enough to light up only about ten feet and she couldn't see anything below that reach. But the trail was wide enough to assume that it reached even further down. Something had slid down or had fallen from here...

"Albert?" she whispered under her breath.

"Albert!" she piercingly screamed out, her heart now frozen from fear and worry. "Albert! Answer me! Say something, please!"

She waited for a reply but the only two things to answer was the rustling of the leaves above her and the loud sound of flowing water from below.

O O O

1 In the 19th century it was a common belief that human populations are divided into separate races and that some races were inferior to others. 1907 is given as a year of the first recorded use of the term "racialism", today (since 1930s) known as racism.

2 Captain James Cook, a British explorer, navigator and cartographer, was killed in a fight with Hawaiians during his third exploratory voyage in the Pacific on the 14th February 1779. The white, 27foot tall obelisk that was founded in honour of his memory, was erected in 1884.

3 Mauna Loa is an active shield volcano, with a constant but slow and steady, smooth flow of lava. It rarely erupts. The two cases Ho'okele mentioned were in 1919 and 1907.


	34. UNFORESEEN

**When I recently had a look at my account and stats, I couldn't believe. 3 years! 3 years since I began to write this story! And it's still alive, people are still interested in it! I was one of the brightest Christmas presents this year.**

**I also couldn't believe the reviews! 500+! Right now, I would like to thank Ms Puddleglum, for being the 500th one :) A big, cyber kiss for you, dear! X**

**CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR: UNFORESEEN**

"I... I can't believe it!"

Patty nodded faintly, as if agreeing to the words that had just been spoken. Just like Annie, she too, sat there in shock, head held down, her eyes wide open, struggling to take in what they saw, their ears not believing in what they were being told. Such things just didn't happen! No, wrong, they _did _happen – but only in stories, in adventure novels! Things like that could only happen to some fictional character, not to friends and family!

"I... We..." still shocked, nobody could find any words to truly express how they all felt as they sat around each other, thinking of what to say.

But the truth was there, within hands reach, all laid out like that in front of their eyes. Anytime either of them stole a glance at the calm, motionless face, marked on one side by a long cut that began underneath one of his eyes, the other circled by a massive, dark purple bruise, they had to admit that what they had just heard actually _did _happen.

"Does Aunt Elroy know about this?" Archie wanted to know.

Candy nodded. "Not in such great detail though. She refused to listen."

"Understandable. If I were in her shoes, I also probably wouldn't like to hear how my nephew and the heir to the whole family had fallen off a cliff. It's a true miracle she didn't have heart attack when she first received that telegram from you."

"She is a lot tougher than you think, Archie. Besides… it wasn't a cliff, just the slope of a valley."

"What's the difference? If it was high enough to fall from, to me, it was dangerous enough!" Archie exploded all of a sudden. "Just what were you thinking of, going there?! What?" he turned towards his wife as she began to silence him, "I'm just saying what I think! And what I think that was, was plain stupidity! Why on God's name didn't you do all this honeymooning stuff in a luxurious hotel, like you should have done in the first place? Now, look at the results!"

"Archie, please," Annie pleaded. After their gazes crossed, Archie calmed down visibly and she turned again to Candy. "Can you go on?"

"When I finally got down from that cave, I couldn't see him anywhere," Candy continued her story. "I even dug through the dirt and rocks that had fallen down in the landslide but found nothing. Then I thought… the stream… and I was right. I found him down the stream, in the pool beneath the waterfall."

"So far down?" Patty couldn't believe that either.

"Yes," Candy confirmed shortly. "The current after the rains were very strong. Wasn't it?"

For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone turned, and, as if hypnotized, stared at Albert as he cracked one eye open. The other one reluctantly followed seconds later. A pair of blue eyes gazed at them lazily, his eyelids squinting slightly in the late autumn afternoon sun.

It was actually hard _not _to stare at him. Spread out on the large wicker patio sofa, with his right leg securely resting on big fluffy soft cushions, he surely drew attention to himself like a jam sandwich to hungry ants. He had actually been the very centre of everyone's attention from the first moment they had arrived for their family meeting at the mansion. Even whilst listening to Candy's generous explanations, they couldn't help but steal a glance either at his bruised face or at the white cast that nearly doubled his calf size.

"Yes, it was," Albert finally began telling his side of the tale. So far, he had been just lying comfortably on the sofa, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face and letting Candy do the honours of the storytelling. But now, he felt their guests had now expected him to add in his own version of events too. "There I was, one moment with a sizeable chunk of the valley dropping with me into the stream, before I could even open my mouth to scream," he revealed. "And the next, I'm tumbling down, and then over the edge of the waterfall. I was flushed down before I could even think clearly of grabbing onto anything. I was so lucky that it wasn't more than twelve feet high."

"If you call breaking a leg 'lucky'," Archie wasn't giving up on his critique, "then I must congratulate you on your optimism."

"Archie!" Annie whispered insistently. "That was rude!"

"Oh, make no matter of it, Annie. This is just his way of expressing affection for his beloved uncle," Albert smiled with a corner of his lips, visibly mindful of the cut in the other one. "He just doesn't know how else to say he loves me."

Triple, delicate female snickers were heard around the table. Archie, the target of Albert's joke smiled too, although it was a rather only a half smile. "Pay no attention to the words of this crippled fool, ladies," he said in a charming voice. "He is simply hallucinating on his medications."

"Pay no attention to the words of this sour young man, ladies," Albert countered back smoothly and then, stretched carefully. "He is just for some unknown reason envious of my good spirit. Anything that could be fixed by a chocolate, Archie? Maybe that would sweeten your mood?"

Archie opened his mouth to retort but words would not come out. It was clear that he had run out of enough witty concepts for a reply.

"Would you two please postpone the showing of each other, this mutual affection until later?" Candy said, shaking her head. "I am used to this, Annie too, but I fear that Patty might feel a little awkward at your weird emotional displays."

"Oh no, Candy… please, don't mind me," Patty managed to say out loud between her restrained fit of giggles. "Don't strip me of this pleasure. Listening to them is more amusing than the best cabaret act!"

"See, Archie? We are now _both _officially acknowledged as fools," Albert commented on her remark and then, gave Patty a wink with his healthy eye. "The Andrew and Cornwell duet always at your service, always at your beck and call, Lady Patricia, ready to amuse!"

Patty's giggles turned into open laughter and out of habit, she covered her mouth with her hand, to restrain it. "This Patricia… is utmost pleased," she uttered, her choking tone contradicting her posh words. "And she will be even more so if you amuse her further by telling her the rest of your story."

"Finally, someone is back on topic," Annie sighed. "Thank you, Patty."

"Nothing amusing there, really," Albert picked up his tale, this time with a more serious tone. "At first, at least for me, everything was just fear and huge confusion. Then, when Candy found me, relief. Only then, as I got a hold of myself and the emotions had calmed down, I realised, I was actually in a lot of pain. Then, when Candy checked me and told me what she thought of the state of my leg, I began to panic again. We both realized what that meant; we were practically stranded there. Then, since we had to do something, _anything_ – Candy did something very practical; she used some bamboo as splints and immobilized my leg. And much later, after we had pondered desperately what to do, she ran to get help."

He said it so naturally that it took a moment for his attentive listeners to understand the full meaning of his sentence.

"Wait…" Patty was the first to speak, "You separated? You left him alone in such a condition?"

"There was no other choice, really," Candy explained. "Albert really needed medical care more substantial than I could offer and we knew that no one would have found us in that place just like that, we were off the road after all. So I just went back where we had come from, hoping that I will meet someone on the way."

"Weren't you scared?"

"Oh, I was! I was dying from worry that Albert could have felt worse, or get a fever or even lose consciousness and there would be no one there for him."

Patty wanted to correct her question but at the last second she decided not to. It was rather obvious that Candy had not spared a thought for her own safety. "And you, Albert?" she asked instead. "Forgive me for being too inquisitive but it must have been horrible, to be left like that, in pain, without the ability to move around and all alone?"

"Well, the worst part was the long wait and not knowing how Candy had fared through the jungle. It felt like forever," Albert replied. "But apart from the pain alone, it wasn't terribly bad. I too was afraid that I might get a fever or something else but thank God, that didn't happen. Candy had managed to bring back, piece by piece, all our belongings, surrounded me with food and water, so I had anything I might have needed, just within my arms reach. And it was good, because I discovered that when I didn't move too much, the pain would kind of subside. And the best thing was that I wasn't alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Some time after Candy left," Albert explained, the corner of his lips curving up again in a slight smile, "I had a little visitor. It was small, greyish brown with a dark brown patch on its eye and very, very agile. It picked interest in the food Candy had gathered for me. It ran the moment I moved my hand but later returned. It was a carnivore so I tried gave it a chunk of canned meat that I was eating and believe or not, it took it from my hand! More; it stayed with me long after the meal was over. It didn't let me touch it, of course, but it wandered nearby, coming back to me every now and then and just sitting nearby and listened as I talked to it. Yes, Archie, go ahead and laugh at me for talking to a mongoose! At least it was a good listener! You might not believe it but thanks to its presence I really felt a bit better, I had something to focus on and not to think about the pain. It kept me company almost until Candy came back, not a moment less. And then, when she finally did come back," Albert hung his voice, as if for a better result, "she commanded those big, strong men she brought with her to carry me carefully to their horse carriage filled with hay and we all set off into the sunset."

If he intended for his friends to sit there stunned, he had definitely succeeded. Everyone's faces expressed puzzlement or surprise or both.

"Of course. Who else," Archie asked no one in particular, speaking to the air above his head, "but our incorrigible Candy could have left the middle of absolute nowhere, just to venture even further and deeper into the middle of nowhere and come back with a horse and carriage! Simple!"

"Now you're exaggerating, Archie," Candy dismissed his drama queen show. "We were off the road but not by miles away. Where we were, was in fact, only about a hundred feet away from the road. And while it does lead through the jungle at this point, it is still a main road in north Maui and it is in frequent use. Without any luggage but a bottle of water, it took me much less time to get back to the last village we saw on our way. And from then on, it was easier. The man I asked for help got his two neighbours to go with us. And after we picked up Albert, they took us further west. Apparently, after few more miles, right where the jungle ends, there are pineapple fields and those famous sugar cane plantations. They had their doctor there. And that's it! From there, once Albert was taken care of properly, we went to Kahului, quite comfortably, actually, by train. Because you know, the company has a train, for transporting their cargo from refineries to the port. From Kahului, we took a small steamship to Honolulu, back to our first hotel, where we had left our main luggage, and there we spent a couple of more days, so Albert could rest a bit. And then, we took the ferry to San Francisco, that's all. And here we are."

"You make it sound like it was so easy," Archie commented in a complaining tone, "To me, it sounds like a highly unpleasant and unbearably disturbing life experience."

"Well, I am not going to act like it was pleasant," Albert shrugged casually. "It wasn't. But it wasn't anything a man couldn't bear, especially if he could blame no one but himself. I wasn't careful, I had an accident, I paid for it with some pain, that's all there is to it. I was alive and I knew I would be fine and this was what mattered. And anyway, why are we dwelling on this so much?" he asked. "It's like starting a story from the end. It was the last part of our trip anyway and before this, so many amazing things happened, so many incredible things that we saw! This is what you should be asking about, not about some boring, plastered leg! Why focus on the unpleasant parts?"

"Oh, please forgive us, my dear _Uncle,_" Archie explained nonchalantly. "As decent citizens, we lead a sheltered and painfully monotonous life and we need some excitement, _any_ excitement, like oxygen for breathing. And breathing is a very human thing, you cannot deny that. Call it a morbid fascination if you will but at least let us have that."

"Archie," Annie cajoled out sweetly, before Albert could reply, "just exactly _whose _life are you calling 'painfully monotonous'?"

Her question had sounded quite innocent but it made Archie fall silent immediately. It was rather amusing, to see a man in his twenties, moments ago all so exaggeratingly nonchalant and gesturing broadly, suddenly shrink like a wilting flower, as if he was trying to become invisible. All his metaphorical peacock feathers once held high and proud, now fell like autumn leaves, as if blown off by a sudden gust of strong wind.

"Oh... no... no one's, darling. No one's in particular," he tried to defend himself. "It's just a phrase, I absolutely didn't mean it literally."

"So glad to hear that," Annie replied in a sugary voice.

Candy and Patty looked at each other and tactfully hid their smiles. As Annie turned towards her best friends, Albert stared at Archie openly with a look. Next, without saying a word whatsoever, he pressed his thumb into the open palm of his other hand and began twisting it back and forth. _"You're so under your wife's thumb," _his laughing eyes seemed to be saying. Archie only raised his eyebrow. _"You just wait for your turn," _suggested his index finger, discreetly pointed back at his relative.

"I can go on and satisfy your morbid fascination by giving you all the horrid details of how it felt exactly," still smiling with amusement, Albert said aloud, thus gaining everyone's attention again, "We can sit here for the rest of the day, while I will be wailing pitifully about the poor, crippled me. But I think I have something better. Would anyone care to listen?"

For his reply, he received three eager, fervent, nearly childishly nods. Three heads bobbed up and down so ridiculously fast that Albert could swear they would have fallen off if they continued.

OOO

A whole afternoon had passed, and the guests of the Andrew couple were still sat around the big cast iron table, engrossed in the stories told by their hosts. They only noticed the passing of time by the amount of times the butler or a maid appeared, to refill the platters with snacks or tea kettles. Nonchalant and sarcastic as he was, Archie had been right earlier on. To these people who lived a rather predictable city life, this tale, no matter if it described a major event or just a tiny fragment of the journey, felt like an incredible, enchanting adventure that kept them riveted to the edge of their beautifully weaved wicker chairs.

And during the telling of one of those exciting fragments, Albert produced from under his cushion something that had even made Candy jump up in her seat.

"Just how on..." she exclaimed after the first shouts of amazement from the others had calmed down a bit. "We didn't have the camera with us! Where did you get them from?"

"Remember that day, when I asked you to cruise around the Honolulu stores to buy some souvenirs? Whilst you were doing that, I had a meeting with a certain man, who was appointed to me by the hotel management. His name is Mr. Thurston*1*. He is a very busy businessman but he was kind enough to spare half an hour for a poor, crippled me. The main point is, he is one of the main sponsors of Professor Jaggar and his Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. We had a long conversation and he promised to forward my subscription to the professor. The results are in your hands. The package arrived only yesterday."

"And you didn't say a word!"

"I wanted to keep it as a last ace up my sleeve, in case anyone got bored," Albert joked, visibly satisfied that his surprise was successful. "So, what do you think?"

"Unbelievable!" Patty shook her head as she stared with fascination at each one of the colourful photographs. "It's so... unbelievable, simply unbelievable! A very... powerful view. And what colours!"

"We thought so too, when we sailed pass by it, didn't we, Candy?" Albert commented on her remarks. "But you must know, dear Patty, that what you see here is, unfortunately, much duller than in reality. Photographs just doesn't do it justice. You would have to see Kilauea in person, the fieriness of the orange, the depths of the reds, the unearthly shine of gray and onyx of the cooled lava, the sharpness of the contrasts of the colours! You would have to feel the heat emanating from the falls, smell the sulphur in the air, hear the hiss of the lava cooling rapidly as it flowed into the ocean! Only then you could say that you truly saw the full glory of it!"

"Wow," Patty whispered excitedly, her brown eyes larger than usual from her awe. "You are describing it so visually that I feel like I was really looking at it... Wow..." she repeated, "you make me want to really go there and see it for myself!"

"Patty, darling... seriously?"Annie inquired disbelievingly, "You really would like to see something like that for real?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"I don't know..." Annie was hesitant. "It looks grand but... but so scary, too! I think I would go insane from terror, if I was to be put anywhere near it. No, no, I don't think I'm cut out for things like that."

"And you, Archie?" Candy asked.

"It looks impressive, I can't deny that. I think that could be a nice experience; me, sitting on the deck of some luxurious yacht, sipping a glass of marvellous Chardonnay and admiring the views from afar. Not that I would be scared to get closer, of course!" he quickly corrected himself. "I just... I just don't like the smell of sulphur, that's all!"

Everyone, even Annie, who had openly admitted to her fear, smiled discreetly. No one needed to be explained that that was just his way of covering himself.

For another hour or maybe even more, the terrace of the Andrew mansion served as a stage for the "tropical adventure". And then, as the topic finally died down, it was the hosts' turn to ask the questions.

"You owe me, thanks for asking," Archie stated firmly when Albert inquired about the news from the time of their absence. "I was the one who suffered from Aunt Elroy's wrath after you ran off. I was the one who stood by bravely, withstanding everything she felt like throwing at me. I was the one who talked her into understanding when she went on and on for hours about you, a love possessed fool who irresponsibly forgets his status and supposed composure and burden all the duties onto her poor old shoulders. I was the one who calmed her down when she promised to strangle you when you got back! You owe me!"

"Strangle me? Oh, that's really interesting," Albert seemed serious but Candy and Patty, who sat the closest to him, saw his lips trembling as he struggled not to smile. "I don't recall anything of the sort upon our arrival, neither at the front door, neither any time later. To the contrary; she was surprisingly cordial and, dare I say, glad to see me back."

"To see you back _alive,_" Archie punctuated. "You got off lightly only because of your leg. And, of course, because I had already sweetened her up for you."

"Archie, where are your manners?" Annie scolded him gently. "Even if Aunt Elroy isn't at home today and cannot hear you, it doesn't mean you can talk about her behind her back."

"Alright, alright," Archie gave up reluctantly. "But he still owes me! Big!" he said as pointed at Albert.

"Alright, alright, Archie, I owe you," Albert agreed good heartedly, "I will repay you somehow, oh Brave One. For now, have another chocolate, smile for a change and be nice to our ladies."

Archie looked like he was going to say something but he limited himself to just a glare across the table.

"So, Candy," Annie turned to her friend, hoping to change the subject, "how do you feel being back?"

"Being back? Only my body is back, my mind is still on Hawaii," Candy replied. "I'm in love with this place! We both are, aren't we, honey?" she inquired, glancing at her husband. And when he confirmed it with a slight nod, she sighed dreamily, "I wish we could go back there next year!"

"Then what is stopping you? And why next year? When Albert has recovered, you can go at anytime and to any place you want to. Money isn't an issue and I'm sure his business schedule can somehow be rearranged to suit your needs."

"Perhaps, but you are forgetting one thing, Annie," Candy shook her head. "_I _will not get a holiday long enough to go for such a long, lengthy trip. I managed to get one month off for a special occasion but the usual vacation is only one or two weeks a year."

Annie was puzzled. "Holiday? You mean...you are going back to work?"

"Why, is this surprising?"

"Well, I thought..." said Annie with some hesitation. "I thought that, now that you are married, you would want to rather stay at home and just enjoy the position of being the lady of the house. And it is after all, a very responsible position..." she added, lowering her voice to a near whisper.

Upon hearing her friend's last words, Candy smiled even wider. "My, Annie, I had no idea that you are such a good actress! If not for a different voice, I would have thought that you were channelling Aunt Elroy, speaking about the importance of maintaining one's image," she said half jokingly. She expected her friend to smile, maybe even laugh at her joke, but when that didn't happen, when Annie blushed and lowered her eyelids, she stopped smiling too. "Annie, how should I take your words?" she asked softly but with solemnity. "Are you trying to suggest something?"

"No, no, Candy, please, it's not like that..." Annie replied quietly. Within just a few seconds, she turned from an adult woman, a wife and a mother, into a little timid girl, caught red-handed at doing something forbidden. Her gaze travelled rapidly from one person to another. Her last, impulsive comment had made their nice conversation turn in a wrong direction, and the last thing she would want was to spoil the, so far, bright atmosphere of their family meeting. "I simply thought that after all those years of strenuous work, you would be happy to take a rest," she added after a moment. "You know, stay at home and be pampered, just like I am pampered by my Archie," she smiled nervously and then, glanced at her husband, her eyes pleading for support.

"Well, show me a woman that _doesn't _like to be pampered," Archie appeared to understand Annie's call for help. "The question is, does this rule apply to tomboys too? Say, Candy... do tomboys like yourself also like to be spoilt by their caveman husband?"

"How do I kn—" Candy's face changed once more when she caught the tease. From a serious look, it went straight to a slightly frowned look and then, unexpectedly beamed in a wide, sweet smile. "Actually, we do," her voice oh so sugary sweet. "They like to be pampered in lots of different ways. One of them, you know, is receiving gifts. For example, a rope would be nice."

"To swing from the trees?" Archie offered quickly, a rakish grin stretching his lips.

"Yeah," Candy shrugged lightly. "And also to strangle incorrigible cousins with."

Archie sat silently, with his grin shrinking slowly. "Then I must warn those cousins of yours to behave," he murmured.

"You'd better."

"Hey, look who decided joined us!" Patty exclaimed cheerfully, diverting everyone's attention. "Little Patrick finally woke up from his nap!"

A moment later no one remembered anymore what their conversation was about. Everyone was entirely focused on the boy, who, brought by his nanny, now lay in Annie's arms. At three months, he was a strong, chubby baby, already curious of the surrounding world. He seemed to be fully content with the attention he was receiving from both Candy and Patty.

"How is my handsome little gentleman?" Patty cooed sweetly, gently tickling her godson's tiny fist. "Have we gotten enough sleep?"

"Can't you see?" Candy joked. "He's all jolly and ready to conquer the world!"

"Then let's go conquer it!" Annie joined in the merry trio. "How about a little walk to the lake? It'd do us well too, I believe. I hope you don't mind that we will have to temporarily abandon you?" she addressed both Albert and Archie.

Neither of them minded and the three young women lively got off their seats.

"Annie, would you let me push the baby buggy?" Patty requested as the butler carried the large vehicle down into the garden.

"Oh no, Patty," Candy protested with laughter. "You had more than one opportunity to spoil your godson while I was away. Now it's my turn."

"Alright, fine, have it your way, you greedy person," Patty teased her casually. "But it will be my turn to push him on the way back!"

"Have I anything to say on this?" Annie pretended to complain.

"No!" Patty and Candy replied in perfect unison and then, looked at each other and laughed once more. Annie gave up with a fake heavy sigh and deposited her son in his stroller. Candy took over, like she had wanted to and began walking down the path, a little ahead of her friends.

Annie only shook her head. "And this is how, thanks to my best friends, I am 'childless'," she sighed again.

"You'd better get used to it," Candy warned teasingly from over her shoulder. "Your son is bound to be the center of everyone's attention. After all, he is right now, the only junior member of the family."

"Not for long..." Annie commented quietly.

"What did you say, Annie?" Candy turned once more. Walking a few feet in front of her friends, she didn't hear every word that was said.

"N-no... nothing..." Annie avoided the subject. "I'm sure that before we know," she whispered, leaning closer to Patty's ear, "we will have another tiny one in the family."

She and Patty looked at each other and smiled meaningfully.

Back at the table, the two men kept looking at their young wives and their friend as they headed off. After the women walked away towards the lake, and the servants had disappeared back inside the mansion, they were left on the terrace all alone.

"Say," Archie was the first to speak, "you really don't mind that Candy is going back to work?"

"Et tu, Brute? (you too, Brutus)" Albert sighed quietly. "Somehow I feel like both of you were all suddenly against her, just because she's married now."

"Come on, you know that we're not," Archie protested and quickly got off his chair. "We're just concerned that's all. You should be too. You know very well what this life entails, what duties she will have from now on! She will not have time for both."

Albert didn't reply straight away. From his wicker sofa, he silently observed his hot headed relative as he paced vigorously back and forth along the terrace.

"Don't tell me that you haven't talk about it yet!"

"Archie, Archie," there was a hint of disappointment in Albert's voice, "who do you think I am? An adolescent who doesn't see beyond the nearest five minutes? Of course I am fully aware of it all. And so is Candy! Of course we talked! We had had that chat long before we got married. It was our common, mutual decision. Neither did she want to suddenly be locked away in the house, nor did I want her to give up on what she had worked on so hard through all those years. It won't be easy – but we will somehow work it out."

"And did you also think of what you are going to do if people would start commenting behind your back that your wife works, as if she was a mere commoner?"

"A mere 'commoner?" Albert was so shocked that he raised his head rapidly from the pillows. This sudden movement must have caused him pain, because he grimaced but he didn't lie back down. "Archie, what is it with you? Since when do you categorise people in such a way?!"

"It's just a phrase," Archie tried to defend himself. "You know I don't think this way. I'm just guessing that this is what those people in our circle could say."

"And you should know well by now that I had never cared for gossip," Albert stated firmly. "People will gossip no matter if you are a sinner or a saint. It's in their nature. I doubt that any of them would have the guts to say it to my face. But if they do, then I will simply laugh at them. My wife's way of living is more honest and meaningful than any one of them and I won't hesitate to tell them that."

It was Archie's turn to fall silent. He stopped pacing for a moment, then resumed, though his steps were now slower and less agitated. "Know that I will do everything in the little power that I have, to support your position and doings," he said finally. "But don't expect the same from Aunt Elroy. You know what she thinks when it comes to where the woman's place should be."

"Yes, at home, busy taking care of her husband, children and making a good impression on her guests," Albert commented dryly. "It's curious though, that this belief of holding on tightly to the old fashioned ways comes from a woman, who had jealously held the reins of the family business for well over two decades, managing it like a man. I think a long conversation with our dear auntie waits ahead," he sighed heavily.

"Good luck with that," Archie almost snorted. "I've had a whole month of this pleasure."

"I will need it. But she has to understand. The world really _is _changing, whether she likes it or not."

Archie nodded.

"Now, Archie, let's change the subject. If you don't mind, I would like to hear how business went, before girls come back."

"Come on, I'm not going to burden you with any business matters while you're in such shape! You were seriously injured and you should just lay back, relax, think of only nice things and focus on getting well..."

Albert couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, although slowly. While he didn't doubt Archie's concern, his nephew's voice sounded just a little too caring to be just that. "Thank you, Nurse Archibald," he summed up. "In case you hadn't noticed, it was my _leg_ that was damaged, not my head."

"Well, that's something I'm beginning to seriously doubt. I'm pretty sure that you hit yourself in a head during the fall and lost whatever sanity you had left. No normal person would have wanted to waste such a beautiful afternoon on business talk."

But despite his sarcasm, he sat down dutifully.

And some time later when the trio of cheerful, grinning friends had returned from their walk, they had managed to cover quite a significant part of their business related matters.

"Albert, Archie... You would never believe... what news we managed to pull out of Patty!" Candy was so hyper and excited that she almost ran up the marble stairs. On the top, she halted, took several deep breaths and shouted, "She enrolled in university!"

** O O O**** O O O**** O O O**** O O O**** O O O**** O O O**

Footnotes:

1. Mr. Thurston and Prof Jaggar were real people. Professor Thomas A. Jaggar Jr. (1871-1953) was an American volcanologist and founder of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a study base settled on Kilauea. The professor's research and study were enthusiastically supported by Lorrin A. Thurston (1858-1931), a prominent Honolulu lawyer and businessman.


	35. JOY ALL AROUND

**CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE: JOY ALL AROUND**

Days at the Andrew's Mansion had passed in an atmosphere that nobody had remembered here for years. Although everyone's routine remained the same, something was certainly different. Maybe it was the cheerful female laughter echoing unexpectedly along the mansion's corridors. Maybe it was the handsome, masculine face that radiated with friendly warmth. Maybe it was a pair of emerald eyes that shone brightly at everybody, even at the old, and usually, sour -faced Madame Elroy. Maybe it was the voice of the man that, so far known to be heard only in calm, controlled manners at all times, was now louder and full of passion, passion that filled his entire being and spread on everything he was involved in. Maybe it was the presence of the bright young woman, who had a smile always at the ready and a good word for everyone, even if she was undeniably tired. Maybe it was the view of the young couple, having their meal together, discussing lively about house issues, their daily schedule, their respective work, city events or another one of the endless invitations that they had received since their wedding. Maybe it was the loving looks they sent to each other without caring who might be looking, or a glimpse of the two of them in an embrace that told you that they couldn't wait till the evening. So many maybes, but yet, maybe it was the sum of its parts.

Love felt as if it was literally hung in the air and it felt so strong, that at times, it seemed to be almost tangible, like a fog. And also like a fog, it spread in the air and infected every living soul in the room. No one could really explain the phenomenon but it definitely touched everyone under the Andrews' roof.

The Andrew mansion was having one of its happy days.

O O O

Hannah sung.

Every evening, after finishing off her housekeeper's duties, she would retire to her room, read for a bit if her eyes allowed her and after a while, change for the night. Then, she would tidy up the room, more out of habit than a real necessity.

And during all that time, it was accompanied by her quiet hums of old songs that she had learnt as a little girl.

There was a good reason for her singing mood.

It had started last spring. She had never been more surprised than she had been back in May, when she, herself, heard the news about the upcoming wedding. It was a most welcomed surprise though. Thinking back, she could have sworn that there was something in the air way long before, but she couldn't quite place it until it was officially announced. This really showed how good the young master of the house was at hiding what was really going on. She was still laughing at her own blindness. Out of all the people, how could _she_ not notice? She, whose dream was to see Albert with Candy, she, who never stopped looking for any signs indicating it! She had been watching both of them so closely, especially at the New Year's Eve party. She remembered it as if it had happened yesterday. Albert had, back then, played his role as the host with a stoical smile and had paid equal attention to all the invited women while Candy kept herself busy chatting and dancing with many of the young men. They were seen together that night, they did. She had seen them on the dance floor, dancing their feet off together; they both seemed to be at friendly grounds but nothing in their behaviour suggested that there was anything more between them. It seemed like they both let life go on. Candy had moved out and had her own life and Albert had devoted himself to business once again.

That's why the spring engagement had been such a huge surprise to her.

_You really are getting old, Hannah, if they managed to deceive you…_ she had said to herself right after the announcement was made. _And it was so obvious! After more than a year of near total absence from the mansion, she attended the New Year's Eve party, all happy, all flirtatious… and him, calm as always yet, full of hidden, restrained vigour, eyes shining… both avoiding each other till later, when the party was in full bloom… How could you not notice the obvious, not add two and two together, you silly woman? _

Whatever finally brought the two children of her heart together, it also kept them together. If the engagement was a big surprise, the wedding was an even bigger event. She was a part of that too. The planning and making decisions belonged to the couple and Madame Elroy whilst her job was watching over the party itself and keeping an eye on the details and she had done that with pride. Almost motherly pride. She was only a housekeeper but in a privacy of her heart she treated the two young people as is they were her own children.

She was never more delighted as now, as she watched her dear boy in the role of a husband, married to the woman he had always wanted the most. She was never as contented as now, as she observed her dear girl as wife and new lady of the house. She was close to shedding tears of motherly joy every time she witnessed harmony between the two of them and the good influence they both had on each other. After a long day of, often a frustrating, struggle with business while his leg was still in plaster, nothing could relax Albert more than his wife's presence, as she finally returned from her work. Just a single touch from her, one soft cuddle and his face, however still worn off, would smooth down, brighten and a thankful smile would appear on his lips again. Nothing could restore Candy's energy better than her husband's hands massaging her stiff shoulders after another exhausting day at the hospital. She had seen them several times in the parlour, where they just sat in a front of the fireplace, until the fire burnt down. They often talked, in hushed voices – but just as often, they just simply sat in silence, cuddled together and smiling dreamily at the fire. Such sight always made her heart overflow with motherly fondness. And just like a mother hen protecting her chicks, she too developed her ways of protecting them. Knowing how little time they had for each other only, she made it her duty to make sure that nothing and no one disturbed them during those moments together.

The example of this young couple often made her ponder about life and its surprises.

_Only one moment in time when they were just kids and it influenced both their lives so much, _she philosophised, remembering the story about the couple's first meeting. _Maybe it's truth what they say that once two paths cross, they are bound to cross again... Just like the two of them, meeting time and again, like two threads in the canvas... Yet, it had been a very long way for them to end up where they are now. So many things had happened in a meantime! So many other paths they had crossed! They had been living in the same house before, yet only now they have a real home. It's good to see them so happy though… Love truly works in mysterious ways…_

Today she was singing too, as she combed her waist long, heavily grey but still thick hair. But without her noticing, the words began to stumble upon each other, the melody didn't carry her as lightly as it had been for the past few months. The tiny pauses in the tune began lengthening, getting longer then the phrases themselves and finally, became a complete silence.

_What a weird evening, _she thought, bothered by her odd mood. _Ifeel weird too... There is just something in the air tonight..._

A gust of wind blew against her window, making the glass clang against the old, weathered frame. She walked towards it but any ideas about finally getting her old window fixed, was brief and short lived. Something else entirely was taking over her thoughts.

_There's something more in the air now…_ She repeated to herself. For a split second, the window became blurry and she, herself, felt as if nothing was real, as if time had slowed down to a crawl and the wind was nothing more than just a far away whistle. Only her thoughts kept flowing freely, vivid, clear and unstoppable. _Something is coming, I can feel it. It's approaching, just there, just 'around the intersection of time, just in the corner of my eye... I just can't say for sure whether it is good or bad… Oh, I wish I could see it better... who... what... when..."_

Another clang of the ever slightly loose glass plucked her out of her momentary reverie and Hannah shook her head vigorously, as if shaking off unpleasant thoughts.

"Oh, stop foreseeing things, you old owl!"She scolded herself out aloud, to push away the odd sensation. "It's been a long time since you had lost your weird gift and it's much better this way! It's just your imagination..."

But her thoughts kept flowing. _"Your mother has her dreams, you have your inner sight," _in her head suddenly rang ahalf forgotten voice that belonged to the distant past, a voice of her late grandmother. _"It's your gift, Han. Don't fight it... Denying it will not make it go away. It's part of you. Accept it and let it serve you, like I did..."_

"It's just your imagination," Hannah said louder, nearly on the verge of shouting. "You'd better stop messing about like an owl and go to sleep!"

_Something is coming… _The October wind behind her window kept whistling relentlessly. _Something is coming, Hannahhh… Something is cooomiiing..._


	36. BRAND NEW START

**_My deepest and immense thanks to those who helped me with this chapter: Valtameri-kuolema, Roni de Andrew, Samuel Silva and Charmichan, for their insight and valuable suggestions. I'm especially grateful to Charmi, for her incredible patience and sparing literally hours to brainstorm with me._**

**_Logan, as always – a big X for being my personal grammar nazi ;)_**

**CHAPTER 36: BRAND NEW START**

Patty was happy.

For the first time in many years, she felt that her life wasn't just passing by. It actually had a meaning. Something was finally happening, something significant. She was finally doing something just for herself, something she had always dreamt of.

She was studying at the university.

It was something that gave butterflies in her stomach.

Of course her adventure wasn't an easy one; that would be too beautiful.

She was in an environment that was completely foreign to her, for starters. Subconsciously, she had expected the University to be a place as strict as British schools – but here, she was amongst young, vivacious people who were far from treating their grades with dead seriousness. For many of them, college was for having unrestricted fun, not for learning. She, with her firm focus on her studies, stuck out like a sore thumb.

And the other thing was the, not exactly friendly, welcome she had received in her special units. Her ultimate goal, once she got her degree, was Law School and already at this point, she was preparing herself for it. The problem was that this field had, so far, been reserved exclusively for men and women were considered intruders. No one could forbid her from attending but she wasn't welcomed nicely either.

But surprisingly, the more obstacles that appeared in her way, the more determined she was to go straight through them. Spiteful professors, unfriendly fellow male students, the humiliating jokes about her, the annoying pranks and especially the books from the students' library that were only available to the men first – none of that could break her spirit. She had a goal and it was a goal that shone to her like the brightest beacon, the brightest star on the horizon. Deep in her heart, she knew that she would do just about everything to reach for it. Any malice that she had to endure in a meantime was all meaningless, like a superficial scratch. Even if it hurt her – she did her best not to show it.

And what really kept her going through this with her head held high was that she wasn't in this fight alone.

So many people supported her doings!

Her cousin, Marge, for one. The very person who had set her on this path to independence and to whose enthusiastic cheer at the mention of 'project: University of Chicago' was so loud, that it caused static on the telephone line between Chicago and New York. Her cheers never stopped, she had been telephoning up regularly ever since, for her 'weekly update report'.

Her grandma. Her lovely grandma Martha, who, aside from Marge, was the only other person in her family who was entrusted with the secret of what exactly she had desired to study later. An instant fan of the idea and the person, thanks to whom, enrolling was possible at all. She was the one who did the miracle of taming her son, and Patty's despotic father, after he had blown up at this decision. To him, a stiff English Earl who still stubbornly cherished the bygone rules of the severe Victorian Era, the very idea of his daughter seeking higher education had simply gone beyond outrageous. But he didn't scream at her. No, he never screamed. That was beneath him.

What he had done was worse than scream.

"What? University?I beg your pardon!" as he hissed from behind his antique mahogany desk, his voice was so full of cold disdain that she felt like a piece of... nothing. "That school in London was already more than enough! All schooling that women will ever need involve manners, conversing, French and piano!" "Yes, in England and in the previous century," granny had been quick to snap back. "And here, where we now live, is America, in modern times. Here manners, French and piano are **_not_ **enough, my son. Do really want people to say that the only daughter of a fine English Earl has a lesser education than any average American citizen, even ones that comes from working classes?"

And it had been the right tune, played on the right string. He wouldn't give a fig about her personal needs, but his reputation, now there was something that he cared for. "**_No one_ **will say that my daughter is worse than some tailor's son," he had announced. And within a few days, the fees for first semester were paid off.

Yes, dear granny knew all too well her arrogant son and his lordship pride.

The others who stood by her side were four of her best friends, of course. A very narrow but strong circle of people who, once again, proved that in their case, friendship meant more than just spending a good deal of time together. Positively surprised when she first told them, shocked when she revealed her post college plans, they were quick to recover and give her hearty congratulations.

And their support didn't end with just cordial talk and raising toasts at dinner. They also had a long, serious discussion about her choices.

"I'm a little worried how you will manage everything, Patty," Albert had said with some concern. "You are taking on so many extra units... If you really want to study Law later, why not focus on it right away, by taking, let's say, Political Science? Why Literature as a major?"

"Because I need it, as a cover," she had explained. "Literature or Arts were the only disciplines my father found as 'feminine enough'. I chose Literature because it's easy for me, which leaves me with enough time to focus on my special courses. I know it's not fair to keep my father in ignorance but there was no other way... He would have never agreed if he knew about my real plans."

"What if he finds out somehow?" Candy had never been one to beat around the bush and with this question she got straight to the point. "You do need to consider this. What will he do then? Would he cease paying?"

"Most certainly. But I am **not **going to quit, even if he does," she had declared firmly. "I have some private savings and almost every cent from my allowance is going towards it. If that won't be enough, I will get a job, sell my car or the last pieces of jewellery, go begging, anything – but I will not quit!"

Even today she remembered everyone's faces as they looked at her. They looked as if they were looking at someone they knew and yet, they didn't.

"I like the spirit, Patty," Albert had been the one to comment on that at first. "But please, don't think about such drastic measures just yet. Should you ever have any issue with fees, know that you can always come to us."

She had protested that she couldn't ever accept so much money from someone who wasn't her family but her voice was quickly drowned out by even louder protests of the others'. They just decided, just like that. She _was_ a part of the family, to them – and that was all there was to it, no arguments from her would be heeded. She was to forget any silly scruples and simply come to them, if it came to that, without any hesitation.

Even the memory of their words brought a smile of thankfulness on her face. And tears, too – being only her friends, they were a much better family to her than many of those who were connected to her by blood.

The list of people who helped her didn't end with her best friends either. There were others who helped her too, though it was a different kind of assistance...

Evelyn was a student like her, just older, a few years her senior. They had met in the library. It was thanks to her guidance, that the University's vast buildings now stopped being an enormous jungle of gothic pillars. It was once a labyrinth of countless corridors with identical doors on both sides that seemingly reached into infinity and beyond. Now, no more. It was also thanks to her that the written and unwritten rules of the Students' society weren't a frightening mystery anymore. Having had three years of experience in university life, Evelyn was a great guide. But there was something else that made her a valuable colleague. Evelyn studied Physics, wanting in the future to become a Scientist, which made her a woman who was also, just like Patty herself, making her way in the men's world. This was what had brought them closer together. Privately, they didn't have much in common – it was their fight to set a career on the faculties thus far reserved exclusively for men that created an instinctive union between them. They were female trailblazers; that was enough. Evelyn took her under her wing, and she was really grateful for this friendly gesture. Thanks to this young woman, she had adjusted fairly quickly to the specifics of university life.

And it was a very demanding life. It sucked her in greedily, eating away nearly all her time. Leaving early in the morning, she would return home in the late afternoon, sometimes even in the evening, have dinner with her grandma, after which she would bury herself again in the huge pile of books in the study room. It would seem that with such a stretched and tight schedule, her only entertainment could only come in the form of sporadic gatherings at the university, and besides that, she could forget about having any private life.

But surprisingly, it still existed. It was only a shadow of its former self but she still had it. She was excused from most of the events the O'Briens were invited to – it was up to her to decide which ones she wanted to attend. On some occasions, she actually did. Still, the most important thing to her was to maintain contact with her best friends. And they, being who they were, did everything to help her. Neither Annie nor Archie complained that she couldn't pay more visits to their house. They lived in the far suburbs of Chicago, where even travelling there took quite a lot of time and where she just couldn't simply drop in for luncheon on her break between lectures. And for any longer meetings, it was much more convenient for everyone to arrange to meet at the Andrews' mansion. Which of course still didn't mean 'easy' or 'often'. With Candy, Albert and Archie's varying schedules, the very best they could afford to all gather together was once every two weeks, for the Sunday family dinner. Those few precious hours were all they had to make up for everything that had happened in a meantime and it never seemed to be enough. She just couldn't get enough time with her friends. Sometimes she asked herself how it was possible that she coped without them for more than year and a half during her stay outside of Chicago.

There was one more thing that she couldn't get enough of.

Her meetings with George.

It wasn't like she had initially feared, that he wouldn't have time for her, or worse – that he would change his mind about teaching her after all. No. Quite the contrary; after their meeting in August, a direct result of that unfortunate incident with horrible Maxi and the police, another meeting soon followed. Very soon, in fact. Merely two days later, he had surprised her by telephoning her and proposed arranging for their first lesson whenever she found convenient. When she had asked what happened to his original decision, he had explained that for the duration of Albert's absence, he had time off as well and he might as well use it for something more purposeful than re-reading all his books. They – if she still wished – could try and squeeze in as many lessons as they could manage before Albert's return and later – well, they 'would see'.

And she, upon hearing this, had calmly confirmed that yes, she was of course still interested and that she happened to have the upcoming afternoon free of any plans. After that, they had set the meeting for five o'clock at her house and hung up.

After which, she had promptly thrown her entire, carefully pre-planned schedule upside down, just to _make_ the five o'clock appointment – and everything after – 'convenient'.

And after that first lesson, in a similar way, she had treated her entire schedule for the rest of the month – for the same reasons. After just this one lesson, she was sure that what she was doing was all worth it.

A few weeks further down and she was sure of it even more so.

Contact with this man was such a trigger for her mind, in so many ways!

Thanks to his mini lectures in her study room, she now knew for sure that she could learn more from one's body than from one's actual words. What she had so far been doing only out of instinct, without even being aware of it, was now turning into a conscious doing. He was continuously teaching her, bit by bit, what to pay attention to and what had been only vague so far, was now becoming crisp, clear and certain. Naturally sensitive to people's body language, she now found her senses in a state of constant alert, curiously probing people in her surroundings. And it wasn't like she was forcing herself to do it. It came very naturally to her and it simply felt like fun. No one else would of course see any fun in that – but she did. She felt a little bit like a detective that looks for secret signs that would help him solve a puzzle.

And it was still just the tip of the iceberg!

His interesting explanations triggered her want for more. It could have seemed that she should be overwhelmed with such a huge amount of knowledge continuously pouring into her mind, both from university and from their lessons combined, but it wasn't so. She was actually surprised by it. She sucked up all the theory like a dry sponge, always wanting more. She always had this nagging feeling that behind each thing she had learnt, there was still so much more to discover. In her private notes, one could find concepts such as 'the ABC of subconscious movements', complimented with her own footnotes such as 'the anatomy of blushing', 'a lie and a dry eye', 'blood rush and ear scratching' amongst many more others. It was all down to biology, she discovered one day, and she was very close to seriously setting off in this direction too. Only George's firm reasoning reminded her that 'he who chases after more than one rabbit, catches none'.

"Always keep in mind what your main target is. The thirst for knowledge is a beautiful thing but remember that he who drinks too much and too fast, risks choking," he had told her then, and she, trusting him, acquiesced.

Thanks to those meetings, she was gaining more knowledge than just plain theory. They were training her in other ways. George initially smiled at her eagerness of taking notes, he even joked once that he wasn't any real teacher who would test her later. But she had her reason behind this motion. Not only did those notes guarantee that she wouldn't miss a thing – they were also an additional practice in taking compact, clear notes at real lectures, back at the university.

Of course ever since the fall semester began, they couldn't meet every day. The chances for it limited even further once George was back to his work. From then on, they had one short lesson a week, set for every Saturday afternoon. And those afternoons were something she wouldn't miss for the world. She would gladly rise at dawn, giving up the opportunity to sleep slightly longer, just to start her day earlier and be done with her planned reading assignments before George arrived. Those meetings meant training of the mind, something she enjoyed tremendously– and also, they meant the pleasure of being in a presence of a man whom she admired and really, really liked.

And then as one Saturday came, an unexpected and lengthening phone call from her mother prevented her from tidying up her books in time. When she finally got off the phone and hurried to the study, George was already there, let in by the housemaid. She found him standing by her table, his head lowered above her notes from her elective units which were still opened where she had left them before the phone call interrupted her. He inquired about something, she replied– and before any of them noticed, they were way into a lively conversation about her plans.

"Are you absolutely sure about your choice, Miss O'Brien?" George asked her at some point. "Please, don't get me wrong but law usually attracts people with personalities ... well, different than yours. It's a tough field."

But of course she was sure about her choice! And she would be fine, that she also didn't doubt. She told him so.

"Thanks to my lovely male colleagues I'm now growing a thicker skin," she added, mechanically tidying up some of the mess on the table. "All their chauvinistic jokes mean no more to me than the buzz of a mosquito. By the time I graduate, I will be as tough as a rock," she reassured him.

But George didn't accept her explanation. "I am not talking about _studying _law, I'm talking about _practicing _law_,_"he pointed out strongly. "In the real world, once you're out there, acting tough won't be enough. One must _be _tough. Otherwise, you might break under the weight of some of the actions that you will be hired to take. You don't believe me? I can understand that. I too, was once a student who was in love with the theory and believed that being a lawyer was some sort of a noble crusade. I've seen a lot since then. And believe me when I say that this job isn't only about providing justice. It's not about doing what's right – it's about what's _legal._ It's often about _using_ the law, for the client's best interests. In this job you cannot just act tough. You must _be_ tough. Tough, cunning, cold, relentless, even ruthless," he counted out. "And that's something one couldn't really accuse you of."

"Is it something one could accuse _you _of?" she immediately retorted. "You are a lawyer yourself and yet, I don't see a ruthless, heartless monster in front of me. To the contrary, I would say."

"You just don't know me well enough, Miss O'Brien."

"Is that so? Then allow me, please," she left her books alone and faced him. "Tough? And what's wrong about being tough? Cunning? Cold? I think the words 'canny' and 'reserved' fit you better. But deep inside this reserved person there is a lot of compassion for others. You would rescue damsels in distress just like that, just because it seems like the_ right_ thing to do. Heartless monsters don't do that, because they don't care about anyone. Neither do they enjoy starry nights or petting my cook's old cat when no one sees it. And I have never before in my life have I heard of any heartless monsters that would be so unbelievably loyal to friends or generous to others with their private time, just like you are."

"You overestimate my person, Miss O'Brien..."

"See?" she interrupted fervently. "Another piece of proof: no monsters would remain humble when complimented."

George's face seemed to be expressing nothing but she knew him well enough to know what to look for. It didn't escape her how, upon her remark, the corner of his lips quivered ever so slightly. This was exactly what he was training her in, to search for the tiniest of reactions.

"Oh, and I just remembered one more thing. You are not afraid to laugh at yourself," she added quickly. "And monsters are known to treat themselves with dead seriousness and tend to take jokes about them as an offence."

After that, George didn't even try to hide his smile.

"So there! The only monstrosity I find in you is your monstrous tendency to belittle yourself," she summed up jokingly after her tirade. "Besides that, there is no monster in you. You are an effective lawyer while still being a good man. Well? Have I proven that I know you enough?"

"So far, Miss O'Brien, you have proven that you are _quite_ good at dodging the subject. It isn't me that is supposed to be the target of analysis but yourself," George replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement, and she nearly rolled her eyes when she realised how easily he saw through her trick. She should have been even surprised! He was one step ahead of her, like always! "And I was serious," he continued before she could come up with another smart answer. "Law isn't just a memorisation of theory or technicalities. That is the easy part. It's much more important to learn how to _think_ as a lawyer. That is something that would require quitting any simplicity and embracing and accepting duplicity. And the hardest part comes later, when you have to actually practice it. The world of law is a battlefield, a battle of minds, a battle in which you have to set all your emotions aside in order to keep your mind cool and sharp. You must answer this yourself if you are suitable for it, you, so honest, sensitive, caring and deep down, so shy."

Anyone else speaking so openly of her hidden self would have caused her to immediately raise her guard up and act nonchalant. In this case, it wasn't so, not anymore anyway. He was one of those very few people who had gained enough of her trust to be allowed to carry out such a personal "analysis", as he called it. She felt a tad embarrassed of course but listened nevertheless, mulling over every word. He was right, of course he was.

Still, as much as she appreciated his warning, she knew what she wanted and that she was ready to do a lot to achieve it.

"The only thing I know for sure is that studying law had been my quiet dream for many years," she replied decisively. "What exactly I will do with this knowledge, I will decide in time. But I will not quit and if something in my character stands in my way, then, well, I will do everything to work on it. But if you had managed it, to separate who you are at work from who you are in your private life,_ Professor_ Johnson," she challenged him jokingly, to dismiss the tension, "then so can I. Luckily for me, I'm in the hands of a master."

She saw as George opened his mouth but the answer never came. She never did find out what he was going to say.

Perhaps, however, he replied in another way. From that moment on, he always found a moment to inquire about her most recent notes from the special units, discuss them and point out any little detail she had missed.

This was how George also began guiding her in her studies.

O O O

Lectures and seminars, study groups and never ending research in the libraries, Saturday afternoons for her private interests, grandma and her best friends – these were the main things that entirely filled her life and she was firmly set to continue in this style of living for quite a while. She didn't feel as if she was missing anything out. She didn't need anything more. Everything else, except her family and the closest of friends, only felt like a distraction to focus on her studies.

But life likes surprises.

Her life on the university didn't include only learning. She had to socialise, with the heavy accent on 'had to'. Her firm set for achieving good grades was already winning her a nickname the 'grind'[1] and increased teasing from other students. She wouldn't care – but her university friend, Evelyn warned her right at the beginning what happened to those who alienated themselves too much. So, wanting to or not, she had to participate to avoid a total ostracism. After consideration, she followed Archie's advice to somehow get involved in sports. A ridiculous notion as it seemed to her at first – she had never been the sporty type, neither physically capable, nor even vaguely interested in sports. But it didn't cost her anything to attend some sports activities as a viewer, and in time, she decided that she could offer her assistance in organising such events. And that was the decision that was going to lead to something totally unexpected.

The members of the group, besides attending the official gatherings in the sports club, simply socialised with each other. Very often they would go out together, either the whole group or just a part of it, choosing one of the numerous cafes or restaurants in Chicago. She went out too sometimes, although she did it mainly to keep up appearances of belonging with the group.

And on one of those occasions, as they entered a small cafe, she bumped into Connor Powell, Albert's dashing friend. She hasn't seen him since Albert's wedding reception nor had she even thought of him. That unexpected meeting was a big surprise for her.

But it was more than just a surprise; it changed the game. He greeted her in front of everyone with his typical alluring smile, then, he easily spread his irresistible charms onto her female companions as she introduced him and then, allowed the instantaneously smitten girls to snatch him away and sit him at their table, where he soon became the king for the evening. But it was her whom he had sat next to and paid most attention to. It was her upon whom he often rested his hazel, openly seductive gaze. It was her whom he asked for a moment of privacy just before he had to leave. And finally, it was her whom he gave the good bye kiss on her cheek that suggested great familiarity. Knowing his ways and his fickleness, she didn't make anything out of it – but her charmed colleagues thought otherwise. The second he was out of sight and out of ear shot, she was instantaneously buried up to her neck under the fervent questions being thrown at her. Just where did she find such a fantastic guy? Who was this dark haired Adonis? Why hadn't she shown up with him before? Why no words of dating such a hunk? Was he as good at kissing as the shape of his lips promised? And in other 'things'? Was he rich? How rich? Can any of them "take over" in case she ever got bored of him? If not, does he at least have a twin brother?

All those pushy, nearly rude questions overwhelmed her. No one really listened to her honest explanations that they weren't a couple at all – to the contrary, the more she protested, the more sure her colleagues were that she was just trying to hide something. Till the end of the evening, they weren't talking about anything else but her 'exciting romance' and, as she was going to soon find out, their interests didn't die out its natural death in the restaurant. On the next day, she and her "sexy Adonis" were number one topic amongst all the female members of the sports club.

And suddenly, she was no longer a 'grind'! As the gossip announced itself and spread, the quiet 'book worm' that she was, "had her little sweet secrets, sneakily hidden behind her innocent appearance". She stopped being the boring nobody – and overnight, became the "auburn-haired-one-who-God-knows-how-caught-the-rich-and-handsome-Prince-Charming". Prior to this, she was merely tolerated, rarely fully acknowledged – now, she was being openly asked for her opinions within the club, was given important tasks to do, and – what was considered even more important – invited to the little private parties held at the dorm. She was becoming someone, without any efforts whatsoever on her part. It was all due to her 'having' an extremely attractive boyfriend.

It wasn't how she wanted to become someone.

No one listened as she tried to undo the misunderstanding – so she just left it alone. But there was one thing her conscience was forcing her to do, namely at least clear the situation on private ground. She met with Connor, to warn him about the ongoing gossip and that there wasn't anything in her power to put a stop to it.

But he was far from upset. "Relax, Patricia, you worry too much," he laughed at her concerns. "Why fight the gossip? You are so overly sensitive, so 'English' when it comes to reputation. This is America, darling! It doesn't matter _how _people talk about you; it's important that they actually **_do_**. Why don't you see it as an opportunity? Maybe this is the moment when you can establish yourself once and for all as something more than just another average student of Literature. I say go for it, live the moment before it passes by! When opportunity comes knocking, grab it with both hands and don't let go because you'll never know when you'll see it again. Popularity **_is_** important, trust me on that one. As for me, don't worry. I don't mind at all being considered your boyfriend. Boy, it might be actually fun! I'll tell you what, let me come down sometime in my sport car and see your friends as I pick you up," he finished with a charming wink.

His words about being too sensitive did give her something to think about. Wasn't it exactly what she wanted to work on, for the sake of her future career? Wasn't she supposed to become less emotional and more calculative?

_Now is as good time as ever, _she had finally decided – and agreed to his proposition of acting as her 'beau'.

This was how she had to, in her already busy life, find a few moments for him also. It will be only temporary, she promised herself, till it served its purpose. It was all fake, just for show, she kept reminding herself every time Connor picked her up after the club's meeting, purposively snatching two or three of her colleagues too, for a quick ride in his fancy car or for a coffee, from where those girls would leave and come back with googly eyes, as if intoxicated. It wasn't real, she kept telling herself after another evening spent with only him, during which he focused solely on her and made her feel like his special princess.

No, of course it wasn't for real.

But it was nice to be treated like that, that she couldn't deny. Life wasn't particularly kind to her when it came to romance and now, she found herself enjoying being showered with a man's attention and pampered with compliments. And it wasn't just any man. Connor was apparently a man who was born to charm women. It was simply a gift. She could swear that he could just make _any_ woman feel cherished and feel like she was the one andonly. Herself included, she admitted to herself honestly – if she only let him. Which, she of course, wasn't going to do. She had a goal and she had a feeling that romance would only be another distraction. Besides, she wasn't going to allow herself to fall for someone who was bound to break her heart. She had done it before and learnt her lesson well. It was better to keep it as a simple flirt with no obligation. And, of course – only as a temporary flirt.

Still, it was nice and it did play a large part in making her new life really satisfactory. Dreamt studies, surprising easiness of learning of it all, supportive people around her, a pleasant popularity within the sports club, quite busy student social life, and a dashingly attractive friend who took pleasure in treating her like a treasured princess every time they met.

Having all this – how could she _not_ be happy?

XrdsII *** XrdsII*** XrdsII***XrdsII***XrdsII***XrdsII***

* * *

[1] Grind - an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious. Today, simply: nerd.


End file.
